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RAMBLES ABOUT BATH. 









Bath : 

John and James Keene, Printers, 
7, Kingsmead-street. 








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R li M jb 1 j E 3 


ABOUT BATH 

AND ITS NEIGHBOURHOOD. 


- uy 

JAMES TUN STALL, M. D. 

it 

with map and illustrations 

) 

BATH: U 


H. A. BKAGH. 



"Jj D (a ^ 0 

'BsTs i 




Exchange 

Western Ont. Univ. Library 

DEC 2 9 1941 


»» * 












1 


TO ADMIRAL, THE MOST NOBLE 


MES, MAEQUIS OE THOMOND, G.C.H., 

PRESIDENT OF THE BATH HOSPITAL, OR INFIRMARY, 


&c., &c., &c., 


THIS WORK IS DEDICATED, 


BY KIND PERMISSION, 


IN GRATITUDE FOR MANY FAVOURS, 


BY HIS LORDSHIP’S OBEDIENT SERVANT, 




JAMES TUNSTALL. 















PREFACE. 


That a large edition of the following work 
should have been sold immediately upon its 
publication, is a circumstance peculiarly gra¬ 
tifying. I rejoice at its success. In my 
rural strolls, I have often had the pleasure of 
seeing it in the hands of many a stranger in 
many a lovely spot; and if there is a pride 
in the consciousness of having done well, this 

i 

feeling is enhanced by the appreciation of our 
labours. 

Wishing that it should become the standard 
local work, I have most carefully revised and 






PREFACE. 


Ylll 

corrected it. By the kindness of Mr. Hobson 
and Mr. Alfred Keene, I have added four¬ 
teen illustrations. The map, also, presented 
by Messrs. Cotterell and Son, has again 
been revised under their inspection. 

BATH HOSPITAL; February 1 si, 1848. 





CONTENTS 


Page 

Assembly Rooms.222 

Athenaeum . 73 

Bailbrook.247 

Bath Abbey. 10 

- Waters . 53 

- Union House. 165 

- City Gaol .212 

- Hospital. 68 

Baths. 46 

Batheaston.243 

Bathford .2S7 

Bathampton. 95 

Bath wick.102 

Beacon Hill.216 

Beckford’s Tower.224 

Beechen Cliff . 173 

Berewyke Camp.167 

Bellott’s Hospital. 64 

Bitton . 198 

Bradford .271 

Box .279 

-V 

Caer Badon. 81 

Canal, Kennet and Avon.270 

Castle, The Sham. 77 

— . Farley.265 

Camerton. 163 

Cemetery, Abbey . 115 

• Lansdown.224 

- Walcot .251 

Chapel, All Saints'.216 

-Argyle . Ill 

-Lady Huntingdon’s .... 253 

- Irving.254 

- Kensington.249 

— -■ Laura. Ill 

- Margaret’s. 221 

— ■ - Magdalen .175 

——— Moravian . 190 

— " ■ ■ Octagon.223 

-- Queen Square . 189 

— Roman Catholic . 76 

- Unitarian..... 186 

-- Wesleyan. 17S—250 


Page 

Chapel Farm .225 

Chapel Plaster .2S3 

Charlcombe.217 

Charmy Down ..•.239 

Chilcombe .238 

Church, Abbey . 10 

- — Christ’s .220 

■ " St. James’s. 112 

-St. Mark’s. Il4 

•-St. Matthew’s .172 

-St. Michael’s.255 

-St. Saviour’s.24§ 

■ ■ — — St. Stephen’s.2l9 

-St. Swithen’s.250 

-Trinity. 179 

Churches and Chapels, Old.... 3S 

Circus .221 

Claverton. S6 

Cleveland Walk. 77 

-Bridge. 109 

Combe Down. 127 

Combehay . 138 

Conduits . 42 

Corston.203 

Cheyney Court .280 

Colerne.281 

Crescent, Royal.221 

-Lansdown .216 

Dispensary, Eastern.250 

Ditteridge.2S0 

Druids.81—152 

Dunkerton. 161 

Englishcombe.205 

Farley Hungerford.260 

-Castle.264 

Farleigh Monkton.2S6 

Fosseway, The Roman. 164 

Freshford.269 

Fielding’s House .211 

Grove, The Orange . 73 

Grammar School . 62 






















































































































X 


CONTENTS 


Hall Town...1. 

Hampton Down. 

Hinton Charterhouse. 

--— Abbey... 

Haslebury . 

Hetling House. 

Hospitals. 

lord. 

Institution, Royal. 

-- Literary and Com¬ 
mercial .. 

Kelston.. 

-Round Hill. 

Keynsham .» 

Kingston House. 

Ladymead . 

Lambridge .. 

Langridge . 

Lansdown . 

--- Battle of. 

Larkhall . 

Locksbrook . 

Lympley Stoke. 

Lyncombe . 

Middlehill. 

Midford. 

Monkton Combe.. 

- Farleigh . 

Monmouth's (Duke of) Battle.. 

Newton St. Loe . 

North Stoke. 

Norton St. Philips. 

Odd Down . 

Orange Grove. 

Parades, The. 

Park, The Victoria. 

- Kelston . 

—~ Newton. 

- Prior .... 


Pagt 


Pensford. 296 

Philips Norton .146 

Publow.295 

Queen Charlton.295 

-Charlotte’s House .... 107 

Railway Station .176 

— -Excursions.277 

Roman Bath . 3 

- Fosseway... 164—175—245 

Saint Catherine .240 

- Mary Magdalen.175 

- Elphage’s Well.226 

Saltford.202 

Sham Castle, The. 77 

Shockerwick .2SS 

Sion Hill. 215 

Slaughterford .. 2S2 

South Stoke ... 135 

Stanton Drewe., 291—295 

Stoney Littleton. 153 

Swainswick.234 

Solsbury Camp ..234 

Sydney Gardens. 109 

South Wraxhall.2S4 

Sepulchre, Celtic . 153 

Tvverton .209 

Turley . 277 

Via Badonica...245 

Via Julia.. 193 

Victoria Park .. 190 

Vineyards . 253 

Walcot.250 

Walk, The Cleveland ....... . 77 

Wansdyke.79—1 IS—142—207 

Wellow. 150 

Weston. 193 

Wick . 230 

Woolley...233 

Woodborough. 156 

Wraxhall, South.. ’ * * 284 


Pagt 

256 

79 

141 

143 

2S2 

179 

55 

268 

73 

182 

200 

196 

294 

274 

252 

247 

231 

223 

229 

24S 

195 

262 

16S 

280 

134 

131 

2S6 

149 

203 

197 

146 

164 

73 

75 

190 

201 

204 

117 



























































































LIST OF PLATES. 


From Drawings by 

Saint Catherine’s Church .... Keene. Frontispiece. 


Bellott’s Hospital .. 


Page 

64 

The Sham Castle . 


78 

Bathampton Church . 


98 

Magdalen Chapel . 


176 

Victoria Park. 


190 

Newton Church. 


204 

Charlcombe Church . 


218 

Wick Bridge .. 


230 

Swainswick Church. 


234 

D undas Aqueduct . 


260 

Farley Castle..... 


266 

Stoke Bridge . 


276 

Ditteridge Church. 


280 


Map of the Environs of Bath at the end of the Volume. 


Erratum. —Page 178, line 20, for 1780, read 1777. 












































































































































- 















































Gentle Reader, 

Have been a wanderer—one of poor Goldsmith’s 



philosophic vagabonds; and though I have not 


earned pence on the high roads of Europe by flute¬ 
playing, yet have I visited many lands, trudging weary 
miles in search of those beauties of Nature and Art 
which none but he who walks amongst them can e’er 
enjoy. Yet, to me, none possess such charms as the ruins 
and romantic scenery of my native land; the simplest 
vestiges of these time-honoured memorials of a former 
age cause me to gather, amidst their groves, those flow¬ 
ers of imagination which are sacred to almost forgotten 
associations; and to people again, on memory’s stage, 
scenes o’er which history has thrown the mantle of 
antiquity, and fiction, in its noblest form, has sported 
in its wild day dream! 

Thy city, like that of Romulus, has its legend, as 
true, no doubt, as the iEneid of Virgil. What a fuss 
would it create were we to throw cold water on the 


B 

















<C 


2 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

founder of the liot baths of Airman Chester, as the 
Saxons called it! By the Britons it was called Caer 
Pallidur, but not until after its Homan occupancy; 
for the goddess Pallas was unknown to the ancient 
Britons, who called the vale of Bath (Jjaer ISatJoiT. 
If Bladud’s pigs rushed down from Swineswick into 
the healing mud, the leper prince did right to follow, 
or, mayhap, they, in their excessive fondness for the 
hot water, would all have perished. In ancient times, 
the valley of the Avon was a favourite pasture ground. 
Plow beautiful, even now, are its hanging hills, its 
downs, and well-clothed pastures, where the humble 
daisy causes each verdant mead to seem as though it 
were a galaxy of earth-born stars ! Its busy crowd 
can never spoil these beauties of its landscape ; and 
though Mount-beacon, with Beechen-cliff and Bath- 
wick-hill, be studded with the dwellings of its citizens, 
it has, and ever will have, that endless variety of rural 
beauties which makes it, as a whole, the most favoured 
city in the world. 

Let us pause to contrast its present state with its 
appearance to the weary Homan soldier, who, leaving 
the ancient fosse-way, is tracking his course to join the 
camp, which, with its walled enclosure, formed the infant 
city, the unfortunate Caractacus having fled before 
the legions of Claudius Caesar. He would look 
down from Mons Badonca, which now we call Beacon- 
hill ; on the spot where the Abbey—the “ lanthorn of 
England,” as it has been aptly named, from its lightness 
and beauty—now stands, he would behold the temple 























A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


3 


of Minerva, of which such interesting memorials are 
still preserved; thence, stretching southwards to the 
river, the parallel streets of the camp, its walls, and 
arching gateways; beyond the stream, Beechen-cliff, 
a name which readily recals its ancient aspect; then 
Widcombe, and Lyncombe with its shining brook; far 
on, Coombe-down, with Claverton and Farleigh; west¬ 
ward, the cone-shaped barrow of Englishcombe, with 
ranges rising one behind the other, until the view is 
lost in distant verdure ; the river winding through the 
vale, below the pine-clad eminence on which he stands, 
sparkling as with a thousand diamonds beneath the 
brightness of the noon-day sun ! 

What mist is that which rises near Minerva’s temple ? 
whence comes it ? From those healing springs which 
gave to Bath its Boman name of the 

(JTttp of t£e Platers of fyt J^tur. 

Let us walk round the Homan city, of which many 
interesting remains have been, from time to time, dis¬ 
covered. When the foundations of the Bath hospital 
were dug, in 1738, the Praetorium, or General’s house, 
was laid bare, with mosaic pavements and an altar. 
Near it were found grains of wheat, the remains of the 
market, always held near the Praetorium of the Roman 
camp; and, in 1796, the Homan walls were laid bare, 
opposite this building. They were composed of square 
blocks of stone, laid in cement, the inner cavity being 
filled with smaller stones, strongly cemented together 
by liquid mortar. 



















4 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


The Homan baths were discovered when the Duke 
of Kingston pulled down the priory, in 1757. In 
clearing the foundations, stone coffins, with various 
bones of animals used in sacrifices, were found at a 
considerable depth below that building. When the 
workmen exposed the Roman sewers, the mineral wa¬ 
ters flowed in, and interrupted the work. These baths 
are now known under the name of the Kingston, or 
old Roman baths, Kingston-buildings occupying a por¬ 
tion of the site of the priory. 

The Principia of the Romans, afterwards called St. 
Mary’s Rampier, and now the Upper Borough-walls, 
passed due east and west; the principal street, now 
Union and Stall streets, at right angles, directly south. 
“ The name of Stall,” says AVood, “ arose from the 
stables of the Roman cavalry being situated there.” 
This is a manifest error. Its name is derived from a 
church, long since destroyed, that stood at the corner 
of Cheap-street, which, being dedicated to St. Mary at 
Bethlehem, was called St. Mary de Stall. The conti¬ 
nuation of this street from south gate to St. Lawrence’s, 
now the Old bridge, was, until lately, called Horse- 
street, in consequence of its leading to the bath for 
horses. At the bottom of Stall-street, we turn round 
the Lower Borough-walls, through Westgate-buildings, 
to Gascoyne-plaee, where formerly stood the tower of 
that name, looking over the King’s mead, now covered 
with houses; then along the Upper Borough-walls, to 
the back of the Market. In a lane below, leading to 
the slaughter houses, the east gate is still seen, together 

























, © - - -- — 

A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATII. 5 

with, a large portion of the ancient wall. Passing 
through the Grove to St. James’s church, we encompass 
the ancient city. 

Of the City Gates, three are destroyed, and the 
remaining one promises to be, ere long, consigned to 
oblivion. These will occupy our first attention. 

Leland, the antiquary, visited the city in 1530, enter¬ 
ing it through a “great stone arch” which stood “on 
the centre of the bridge of five fair stone arches, between 
which and south gate he marked fair meadows on each 
hand.” 

South gate, which stood at the bottom of Stall-street, 
was the handsomest of the city gates. It was rebuilt 
in 1362, eleven feet wide, and fifteen feet high. Its 
south side was ornamented with an enthroned statue of 
king Edward III., having, on the one side, the figure 
of the bishop Half de Salopia, and on the other, prior 
John de Walcot. It was destroyed in 1755. 

Leland calls the north gate the “ toune gate,” in 
consequence of the queen receiving there the formality 
of the presentation of the keys. He, with all succeed¬ 
ing historians, describes it as surmounted with a tower. 
This, as appears from Hr. Jones’s Map, published in 
1572, was the tower of St. Mary’s church. The prin¬ 
cipal aperture, ten feet wide, by fifteen high, was sur¬ 
mounted by a grotesque painted figure of king Illadud. 
Its posterns could not escape the builders; and Wood 
bitterly laments the encroachment on the footways. It 
was pulled down in 1776. 

West gate, also pulled down in that year, was rebuilt 
.©----—---- 


© 

















6 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


in 1572, and made commodious enough to lodge the 
royal family on their visits to Bath. This gate was 
granted, in 1553, to the Grammar school; since then 
it was enlarged into a mansion, that made a palace for 
king James II. in 1687, for the princess Amelia in 
1728, and the prince of Orange in 1734. 

At the south side of the Market below, and beneath 
a flag-stone forming the entrance of a butcher’s shop, 
is the east gate. Through it Lot-lane leads to the 
Monk’s mill, and Bisk Cross-lane to the river. 

This city the Romans held from A.D. 45 to A.D. 
444, when, withdrawing altogether from England, they 
left it adorned with baths and temples in a perfect state; 
the principal of which were, that of Minerva, on the 
site of the Abbey; Apollo, in Stall-street; and Diana, 
in Westgate-street. 

The Britons held it from this period until 577, when 
the Saxons ravaged it with fire and sword. In 676, 
Osric, king of Northumbria, founded the monastery, 
which Offa, king of Mercia, restored in 775. 

In 907, the city was first governed by a sheriff, and 
afterwards by a provost, or bailiff. The sheriff still 
retains the name of bailiff. Its ancient charters were 
confirmed by Edward III., Richard II., Henry Y. 
and YI. 

King Edgar was crowned in the ancient church of 
St. Peter in 973 ; and from this time Bath began to 
take its position as an important city. Leland says that 
“ King Eadgar was crounid with much joy and honor 
at St. Peter’s, in Bath, whereupon he bare a great zeale 












A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


7 


to the towne, and gave very great fraunchises and pri¬ 
vileges onto it; in knowlege whereof, they pray in al 
there ceremonies for the soule of king Eadgar. And ; 
at Whitsunday-tide, at which tyme menne say Eadgar 
was crounid, ther is a king elected in Bath, every yere, 
of the townes menne, in the joyfulle remembrance of 
king Eadgar, and the privileges gyven to the towne by 
hym. This king is fested and his adherentes by the 
richest menne of the towne.”* 

In the reign of Alfred the Great, the city, within 
the walls, consisted of three parishes—St. Peter’s, St. 
James’s, and St. Michael’s. The latter no longer exists. 

Its church stood near the Cross bath; its name is per¬ 
petuated in the passage leading from Westgate-street 
to St. John’s hospital, whose chapel is dedicated to St. 
Michael. The present parish of St. Michael was then 
called St. Michael Outwich, and is situated without the 
old north gate. 

In Edward the Confessor’s time, the city was divided 
into three portions :—That bounded by Cheap and Stall 
streets belonged to the monks; the opposite, between 
Westgate and Stall streets, to the barons; while thence, 
northward to the Upper Borough-walls, was held by 
the king’s burgesses. 

At the Norman concpiest, out of 178 burgesses, 
sixty-four held under the king, ninety of the barons, 
and twenty-four were tenants to the monastery. Its 
population was then 570 souls. 

* It was in consequence of this custom that Beau Nash was 
called the “ King of Bath.” 
















© 


8 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

“The king,” says Domesday Book, “holds 
In the time of king Edward, it was held by queen 
j Edith, and gelded for twenty hides, when the county 
• of Somerset was assessed. The king has there LXI\ 
burgesses, rendering four pounds; and there are four 
score and ten burgesses of other men paying yearly to 
the borough LX shillings. The king has there six 
unoccupied houses. 

“ This borough, with iSstcne (now Batheaston) 
renders sixty pounds by tale, and one mark of gold. 
Besides this, a mint yields one hundred shillings. 
Edward accounts eleven pounds for the third penny of 
this borough. 

“ Erom the same borough, one house is taken away. 
Hugh, the interpreter, holds it, and it is worth 2s. 

“ The church of Saint Peter, in Bade, has, in that 
borough, 24 burgesses who pay twenty shillings.” 

In William 'Rufus’s time, the city was totally de¬ 
stroyed by tire during Odo’s rebellion. In his reign, 
a native of Erance, named John of Tours, or John de 
Pillula,* who then practised physic in Bath, purchased 
the bishopric of Wells, and determined to unite that 
see to the Abbey of Bath. The King, being mindful 

* When these papers first appeared, we were much criticised 
for calling him John de Pillula, his name having, we believe, in 
all previous works, been spelled John de Villula. His proper 
name was (from his birth-place) John of Tours ; and, as a nick¬ 
name, he received the other appellation in consequence of his 
skill in physic ; it being always to be remembered that the Saxon 
P. V. and W. are represented by very similar characters, as the 
coins of William the Conqueror and manuscripts of the period 
plainly show. 

® -- —— - © 
























A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


9 


of liis soul’s health, and in consideration of tlie sum of 
five hundred marks to him in hand paid, granted the 
diocese to the abbey of St. Peter’s, together with 
the whole city of Bath, with its mint, baths, tolls, 
markets, and other privileges, for ever in perpetuity, for 
a yearly rent of twenty pounds, payable to the king. 

In the reign of Edward I., A.D. 1297, the city sent 
its first two members to parliament. 

The city walls, which had been strongly rebuilt in 
1090, on their old foundations, were repaired in 1369, 
in obedience to a precept from king Edward III. 

In 1412, John Savage’s name occurs as the first 
mayor on record. 

In 1447, king Henry YI. granted a charter, enabling 
the mayor to affix the assize of bread and beer. 

In 1590, queen Elizabeth, who had previously 
visited the city, gave it a new charter, enlarging its 
boundaries, with jurisdiction over the priory lands, 
baths, and suburbs, extending from Walcot church on 
the one side, to the end of the present Park on the 
Weston-road, and to the river on the other, which 
formed its eastern and southern boundaries. 

In 1640, king Charles I. fortified the city, at an 
expense of £ 7,000 ; it nevertheless opened its gates to 
the Parliamentarians on the 29th of July, 1645, when 
Sir William Waller fixed his head-quarters in the city, 
then considered the most important stronghold in the 
county. During the civil wars, it was, in turn, held 
by both parties, its position in the valley rendering it a 
useless tenure to either. 














©- 

10 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


© 



In 1673, Capt. Henry Chapman, who was then mayor 
of Bath, tells us that the city and suburbs occupied 
about fifty acres, and that it paid but £30 poor’s rates. 

To those who would wish to read the monkish fable 
which early historians have woven round the origin of 
this ancient city, we recommend a perusal of the cer¬ 
tificate, intended by Mr. Wood to have been signed by 
the citizens in 1741, recording the undoubted authen¬ 
ticity of his history of Bladud and his swine, or his 
life and marvellous adventures, in Wood’s own veritable 
history—a work as interesting to the patient antiquary 
as a fairy tale to a youthful maiden. 



Batf) a&ini). 

MIDST the many records of the ancient monas- i 
: tery, it is extremely difficult to select such an 
account of it, as shall be of sufficient interest to the 
general reader, without encumbering it with extraneous | 
matter; for, although these are particularly rich in 
relation to its ancient charters, they afford but little 
information in reference to the building set apart for 
the dwelling of the monks. 

The Abbey of Bath was originally consecrated as a j 
nunnery by king Osric, in 676, he giving Bertona, an 
abbess, one hundred of his tenants, to erect a dwelling 

^ I 

for herself and sisterhood, “for the salvation of his 

I 

©-— --- ® 























BATH ABBEY. 


11 


soul, and satisfaction of his sins.” No doubt this pious 
lady employed all who could work in the erection of 
the building, selling the others, with their wives, fami¬ 
lies, and possessions, to purchase building materials. 
In those days the “ Marterites” belonged absolutely to 
the king and nobility; mere tillers of the earth, they 
and theirs were slaves to all intents and purposes. 

The Danish incursions soon laid waste the city, and 
the nuns were driven from their peaceful abode. King 
Offa, in 775, finding their house in ruins, and the 
church destroyed, re-edified it, and converted it into a 
college for secular priests. To this foundation the 
Danish kings were great benefactors; and Athelstan, 
in 931, and Edwy, in 956, endowed it with various 
lands in the adjacent county. 

In 970, king Edgar, urged by St. Dunstan, arch¬ 
bishop of Canterbury, a zealous monk, expelled the 
secular clergy, whose great fault seems to have been, 
that, being allowed to marry, they brought their wives 
and families into the convents, and employed themselves 
in works unconnected with religion. Erom this period 
we date the strife between the regular and secular 
priests, which continued until the Reformation; aggra¬ 
vated, during the reigns of the Norman, Plantagenet, 
and Tudor kings, by the promotion of foreign monks 
to English benefices, to the exclusion of the native 
clergy—a rule so irksome to the lower orders, that they 
frequently rebelled against it; which led to two great 
evils—the introduction of an unknown language (the 
Latin) into both public and private devotion, and the 










12 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

establishment of monkery, or vows of celibacy, from 
the clergy. Of this latter, the reformed religion pos¬ 
sesses one relic in its colleges, the fellows of which are 
compelled to resign on marriage. 

To return from our digression. Edgar, having ex¬ 
pelled the priests, founded a college, or monastery, for 
an abbot and twenty monks of the Benedictine order. 

The Parker Collection of Manuscripts, relating to 
Bath, preserved in Corpus Cliristi College, Cambridge, 
contains the following memoranda of redemption from 
slavery, which, from their curiosity, we translate:— 

“ In this page of the hook of Christ, Leofnoth, a 
peasant, attached to the glebe of Corston, the son of 
Egelnoth, has, with five oxen and twelve sheep, pur¬ 
chased himself and family from Elfsig, the abbot, and 
all the monks of Bath. Witness, Keaskill, the bailiff, 
and all the citizens .” 

“ In this book of Christ it is written that Edric, of 
Ford, has purchased his daughter, Scefrig, from Elfsig, 
the abbot, and convent of Bath, in perpetual liberty, 
and all her progeny 

“ It is written, &>c., that Elfric and Egilric Scot are 
free, for the perpetual liberty of the soul of Elfsig, 
the abbot; by the testimony of the whole convent .” 

These manumissions occur during the reign of Wil¬ 
liam the Conqueror. In his time, as appears from 
Domesday Book, the lands of the Abbey were valued 
at eighty pounds yearly. They extended not only 
over a third part of the city, but included no less than 
seventeen adjacent villages, with their manorial rights 

®--- 






















BATH ABBEY. 


13 


and privileges. In 1106, Jolin of Tours, its most 
bountiful benefactor, having laboured, and at length 
effected, “ with all decent authority,” as he himself 
declares, “ so that the head and mother church of 
Somerset shall be in the city of Bath,” restored to the 
monks all that he had appropriated to himself, together 
with the lands he had purchased of Hugo cum Barba, 
which consisted of five manors, devoting all his revenues 
from the city itself to the perfecting of the building of 
the church and monastry. He also erected a stately 
palace for himself and successors. Prom this time to 
the Beformation the Abbey increased in riches, by the 
gifts, not only of the kings, but also of the nobility and 
pious individuals. 

It possessed great privileges, as the following curious 
letter of king Henry I. will shew; the original is in 
Latin :— 

“ Henry, King of England, to Walter, of Gloucester, 
and Waren, Viscount of Somerset, and their officers, 
greeting. I command that the whole lands, and men 
of the monks of Bath, shall be in peace and quiet from 
all decrees and complaints in your shires and hundreds, 
and in other things, murder and theft excepted, when 
they shall be in my hand. Witness, Nigel de Alb in, 
at Gloucester .” 

King John was a great patron of the monks. He 
annexed a priory at Cork, and another at Waterford, 
to the monastery, and gave them ‘his royal farm of 
Barton, with a separate jurisdiction, and the privileges 
of execution and ordeal, exempting both themselves 

















14 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

and tenants from suit and service, assizes and juries, 
as well as from toll at Bristol. 

In 1223, the prior rented the city during king Henry 
III.’s pleasure, at a yearly rental of £30. In 1304, 
king Edward gave him the toll of the two fairs then 
established. In 1330, the monks introduced the wool¬ 
len manufacture to Bath, and its fabric became cele¬ 
brated throughout England. About this time the prior 
had to pay a fine to the king for infringing the statute 
of Mortmain, passed in 1279, to restrain the cupidity 
of the church, which threatened even then to absorb 
all the lands in the kingdom. The succeeding century 
found them a small body, rich, luxurious, and extra¬ 
vagant ; too indolent, even, to keep their own houses 
in repair; so that when Oliver King became bishop, in 
1495, he was compelled to pension the monks, and 
devote their income to the rebuilding of the church 
and monastery. 

Leland informs us that, in 1530, the buildings 
erected by John of Tours were then in ruins, and 
that they consisted of a “ faire toure” with buildings 
to the south-west of the church. This tower is repre¬ 
sented, in Dr. Jones’s Map, as rising above the covered 
passage extending from the prior’s house to the church, 
shutting up (as appears from Wood) the first window 
on the south side, together with the prior’s entrance to 
the nave. The priory had a southern aspect, protected 
from the public gaze by a wall. Its gardens extended 
as far as the present vestry-room; and a gate led to the 
Abbey-green, which formed its first court. Below this 

©-—-© 



















BATH ABBEY. 


15 


i 


was the orchard; and St. James’s-street occupies the 
site of the ancient Lear lands, so called from their being 
the place where poor strangers were entertained without 
the gate of the priory. Its lands extended along the 
east side of Stall-street, from which it was approached 
by an elegant arch, called the Abbey gate. Its walls 
went along the present Galloway-buildings to the city 
wall, with a narrow entrance to the Grove through 
St. Peter’s gate. Immediately adjoining it were two 
baths, in the Church yard,—one for the monks, and 
one for the poor ; and next to these was a tennis- 
court. The Orange-grove was divided into two por¬ 
tions : the one running eastward from the north side 
of the church belonged to the monks, and was called 
the Abbey-litten , while the other portion was called 
Mitre-green. These, in Beau Nash’s time, were planted 
with three rows of trees, and called the Orange-grove, 
in consequence of the erection of the column, in 1734, 
recording the cure of the prince of Orange ; and it then 
formed the most delightful promenade within the walls. 
In addition to this, the monks possessed all the land, 
including the Mill, to the east and south of the city, 
the Ham-barton, and the Ambrey-mead. This property, 
with Prior-park, the mansion at Combe, and other tene¬ 
ments at Bridgwater, Dunster, and Walcot, king Henry 
VIII. sold to Colies for £962 17s. 4 cl. 

The parish of St. Peter and St. Paul, commonly 
called the Abbey, was endowed at the dissolution of 
the monastery. Its church has been frequently rebuilt. 
The first was a Homan temple, dedicated to Minerva, 














16 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


! 


a portion of which, it is said, may still be seen under 
the eastern buttresses ; but these remains have the 
character of early Norman. This was consecrated to 
Christianity by St. David, in 596. Osric founded the 
monastery in 676. This building was totally destroyed 
by the Danes in 678 ; restored by Offa in 775 ; and 
its constitution reformed by Edgar in 970. This 
church was rebuilt in 1010; burned in 1137; and 
again restored. To this edifice the present noble struc¬ 
ture succeeded, which, although commenced in 1499, 
was not completed until 1606. Elphage, a learned 
monk of Glastonbury, a native of Weston, near Bath, 
subsequently archbishop of Canterbury, was the first 
abbot appointed by king Edgar. He was scarcely dead 
when John of Torus annexed the Abbey to the bishop’s 
see; and from this period to the Reformation it was 
governed by priors ; among whom we find John de 
Tellisford, a monk of Dunster (then a cell belonging to 
the Bath Abbey), elected in 1411, who had a fierce 
quarrel with the mayor, relative to the ringing of the 
city bells, quelled only by a decree from the bishop, 
forbidding any bells to ring before the prior’s in the 
morning, or after his at night. John de Cantlow, 
elected in 1489, deserves our notice and respect. He 
not only repaired the Abbey, but restored St. Catherine’s 
church, and the chapel of St. Mary Magdalen’s hospital, 
in Holloway. To him, in 1499, succeeded prior Wm. 
Birde, Oliver King being then bishop. The church, 
notwithstanding its recent reparations, was then in a 
ruinous condition. These good men devoted them- 

























BATH ABBEY. 


17 


selves to the task of rebuilding it—a work neither lived 
to complete. The prior died poor, in consequence of 
devoting the major part of his income to the building, 
and erecting the beautiful chapel, which bears his 
name, near the altar. 

William Holway, otherwise Gibbs, succeeded Prior 
Birde in 1525. He continued the building, which was 
scarcely completed when the monastery was suppressed, 
its church, lands, and revenues, being granted, by let¬ 
ters patent, to Humphrey Colles, who sold them to the 
family of Colthurst. They, having entirely despoiled 
the church of every thing that could be turned into use, 
or converted into money, gave the roofless shell of the 
building to the citizens for a parish church. Sir John 
Harington, of Kelston, first drew public attention to 
the propriety of re-edifying it, in a poetical epistle to 
bishop Montague. One day, during a shower of rain, 
he was conversing with the bishop near the church, and 
asked his lordship to step in for shelter; special care 
being taken to convey the prelate into the north aisle, 
nearly roofless, and despoiled of its lead. This situa¬ 
tion not sheltering his lordship, he remonstrated with 
Sir John. “ Doth it rain, my lord ? Then let me see 
your bounty towards covering our poor church; for if 
it keep us not safe from the waters above the earth, how 
shall it ever save others from the file beneath ?” The 
bishop generously gave £1,000, and applied himself 
sedulously to the task; and private charity alone pre¬ 
vented this noble building from sharing the fate of 
other monastic edifices, reduced to ruins by the cupi- 


c 


1 
















18 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


dity of those to whom the king had granted or sold 
them. In 1606, Thomas Bellot (founder of the hos¬ 
pital which bears his name, situated in a street formerly 
designated by the very ancient name of Beltree-lane, 
now Beau-street) ably seconded him, with many other 
generous benefactors. 

The rector, John Pelling, entered warmly into the 
work, so much so, that his life bore testimony to the 
truth of his motto, Non mihi , sed ecclesice —“ not for 
me, but the church.” 

The church is remarkable for its many punning de¬ 
vices, a conceit then common with the learned. Thus 
prior Birde’s mark is a bird in a W. Bellot, giving the 
glass in the great east window, must needs perpetuate 
his name by causing it to be glazed in very small pieces, 
inserted, as the heralds call it, “ bellot-w T ise.” Malet, 
of Enmore, also glazed a window, ornamenting it w T ith 
his coat of arms and motto, Malet meliora —“ he would 
wish to do better.” Biss, of Spargrove, ornamented a 
window with his arms and motto, Bis fecit; sisfelix 
bis —“ Biss did this; do thou twice as much.” 

The west front is ornamented with the representa¬ 
tion of the vision of bishop King, wherein he saw 
angels ascending and descending a ladder, and calling 
on him to rebuild the church. Near these are muti¬ 
lated statues of the twelve apostles, and some almost 
obliterated inscriptions. His name being Oliver King, 
his mark was an olive tree crowned, with the motto 
De sursum est —“ it is from above.” Here, also, are 
the arms of king Henry VII., with the united red and 


I 
















BATH ABBEY. 


19 


white rose, surmounted by a crown, and a crowned 
portcullis. The west door is beautifully carved with 
the arms of the bishopric impaling Montague. On 
either side are stone statues of the bishop and prior, 
which them ecclesiastical robes plainly indicate; and 
not of St. Peter and St. Paul, as former writers have 
asserted. Over the north door of the west front is a 
small statue of king Edgar, with a roll representing 
the charter; above him the inscription “ Domus moea 
while one of king Osric ornaments the south door, 
representing him bearing a purse of money, alluding 
to the wealth with which he endowed the original 
foundation. Above this figure is a scroll, bearing the 
inscription, “ Domus orationis ,” finishing the sublime 
inscription, “ My house is the house of prayer.” On 
the eastern buttress of the south transept is an almost 
obliterated date of 1557, marking the repairs then 
completed by Mr. Peter Chapman. Francis Allen, in 
1616, gave a sum of money to make the buttresses of 
the north side of the east end uniform with the south¬ 
ern, as appears by a date stone, recently recut. 

The interior of the Bath Abbey has employed the 
able pens, not only of the scientific, who came hither 
to study the noble principles of Gothic architecture in 
their fullest development, but also those of the moralist 
and divine;—men whose works bear that silent inspi¬ 
ration of the heart, and elevation of the noble princi¬ 
ples implanted in the breast of the virtuous and good, 
which such visits foster and strengthen. “When,” says 
Samuel Taylor Coleridge, “ I enter a Greek church, 











A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


© - 

20 

my eye is charmed, and my mind elated; I feel exalted 
and proud that I am a man. But the Gothic art is 
sublime. On entering a cathedral I am filled with 
devotion and awe; I am lost in the actualities that 
surround me, and my whole being expands into the 
infinite; earth, and air, and nature, and art, all swell 
up into eternity, and the only sensible impression left 
is that I am nothing.” 

In walking alone through the elaborately beautiful 
aisles of such a building as the Bath Abbey, when the 
mind, leaving its worclly thoughts, feels the calming 
influence of the place itself, and hardly conscious of 
the echo of the solitary footfall from groined arch to 
fretted roof, looks around on the memorials of mortality 
which strew both walls and floor with Death’s victo¬ 
rious emblems, there are, indeed, melancholy, yet plea¬ 
surable emotions, awakening within us pure and holy 
sentiments of love to God, and to our fellow-mortals 
true benevolence. 

Entering by the door which conducts to the south 
aisle, near the great east window, peculiar in being 
arched within and square without the building, the 
first object which arrests our attention is that Gothic 
gem, prior Birde’s chapel, or oratory. The following 
description of it we abstract from the beautiful work of 
its restorer, Mr. Edward Davis, architect of this city, 
entitled “Gothic Ornaments, illustrative of Prior Birde’s 
Oratory in the Abbey Church of Bath 

“ This oratory is almost coeval with the Abbey in 
which it stands. The first stone was laid about 1515, 

©- 

























BATH ABBEY. 


- ® 

21 

by prior Wm. Birde, under whom the design w T as, for 
some time, diligently prosecuted. When, however, 
nearly completed, its progress was interrupted (probably 
from the ecclesiastical reforms of that period), and the 
structure still affords unquestionable evidence of the 
abruptness with which the work was abandoned. Part 
of the front next the choir is left unfinished, and 
portions, intended to be decorated, remain still as they 
were prepared for the carver. Hence we learn the 
method of executing carved work at that period; the 
stone was first shaped as required, a black coat of water¬ 
colour was laid on, and the drawing being pricked 
through, the outline was obtained on the stone by the 
application of a white pounce. Por this information, 
as well as for the very perfect state of much of the 
carved work, we are indebted to the coatings of lime- 
wash, beneath which it was, until lately, concealed. 

“ Its subsequent history is soon told. Remarkable 
alike for its purity and richness of decoration, it was 
fated to experience the same neglect to which all archi¬ 
tecture of a Gothic character was so long exposed. 

Por three centuries it was left to the mercy of parish 
officers; its fronts defaced by monuments, the lower 
compartments of its windows blocked up, while those 
parts permitted to remain exposed were washed and 
rewashed with coats of different hues, until all the 
sharpness of the carved work was lost, and much of 
the delicate tracery obliterated.” 

Thus it remained until the year 1833, when a sub¬ 
scription was entered into for its renovation, which Mr. 


© 



















© 


22 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

Davis completed in strict conformity with its pristine 
condition, restoring a portion of the entablature which 
had been cut away for the erection of a gallery. Its 
fascia is sculptured with running vine branches in bold 
relief; the south side consists longitudinally of two 
divisions, rising from a basement ornamented with qua- 
trefoils in panels, separated by octangular buttresses, 
which Mr. Davis considers were carried higher than the 
present straight line, and that they supported grotesque 
figures bearing bannerets; their object being to break 
the monotony of the entablature, they were, in all 
probability, removed to make room for the old gallery. 
These buttresses were divided into four compartments 
of small pannelled arches, their capitals uniting with 
the entablature. The divisions between the buttresses 
are composed of two flattened arches, with three mul- 
lions and tracery, having a plinth of several mouldings, 
and a dado of enriched radiated quatrefoils in panels, 
with an open rosette in the centre of each; the span- 
drils are enriched with finely-wrought foliage, among 
which the bird is frequently repeated. At the north¬ 
west angle are two niches, one above the other, having 
duplex canopies crowned with pinnacles; at the exte¬ 
rior angle of the north-west corner is a double panel, 
crowned with an ogee arch moulding, with crockets, 
from which springs one of the angular groins. 

Britton, in his history of the Bath Abbey, says, 
“ Both externally and internally the whole was adorned 
with pannelling, roses, niches, pedestals, and varied 
sculpture. It consisted of a stone screen, filling up 

®— - - - - - 














BATH ABBEY. 


23 


the space between two columnar piers on the south side 
ot the choir, and was formerly provided with an altar 
and piscina. The tracery of the roof consists of four 
compartments of the fan shape, diverging from the sides, 
and spreading over the surface, at the eastern end are 
five panels, charged with lozenge-shaped tracery, with a 
shield in the centre panel charged with the prior’s arms, 
surmounted by a mitre.” 

Nor was prior Birde’s oratory the only portion of the 
edifice reduced to unsightliness by what Mr. Clarke, in 
his “ Epitome of the History of the Bath Abbey 
Church,” properly calls the “Vandalism of successive 
churchwardens and erectors of monuments.” Prior to 
1834, every pier in the church was surrounded with 
monumental tablets, placed in the most in congruous 
manner. These were all transferred to the walls. The 
irregular pews were removed, and the present more 
appropriate ones substituted; the old galleries, with 
their boarded backs and glazed doors, were condemned; 
the inappropriate organ-loft was replaced by an elegant 
screen, designed by Mr. Blore, after the model of prior 
Birde’s oratory; the Boman fittings up, behind the 
communion table, with Marshal Wade’s unsuitable 
altar-piece, were removed; and the whole choir now 
looks as it ought to do, strictly appropriate to the 
original style of the building. The episcopal throne is 
placed in prior Birde’s chapel. 

With regard to the exterior, the first work done was 
the removal of the clock from the tower to the north 
transept. The north and south aisles, which had been 
















A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


®- 

24 

covered by Peter Chapman, in 1558, with a heavy 
parapet wall, and stone and wood roof, which, leaning 
over the windows, caused those in the choir to be 
deprived of glass to the extent of five feet, were 
removed, the whole of the windows glazed, and the 
roof restored to the grooves, which the original one 
occupied when Matthew Colthurst stripped off its lead. 

The roofs of the transepts and choir, which disfigured 
the appearance of the tower, were restored to the ori¬ 
ginal grooves made by bishop Montague. The whole 
roof of the church, in fact, was restored, covered with 
lead, and decorated with a rich parapet running round 
the building; and the whole fabric exposed to view by 
the removal of the unsightly houses which had so long 
disfigured its august walls. One subject afforded much 
discussion among the citizens and men of taste—these 
were the pinnacles. Upon this point the Corporation 
consulted Mr. Garbett, of Winchester, who reported 
them to be strictly in accordance with the plan origi¬ 
nally contemplated. Por our own part, we hazard the 
opinion that the tower would have looked better with¬ 
out them, however appropriate elsewhere. 

The old corporation deserve the thanks of their 
fellow-citizens for this their last work as a body corpo¬ 
rate. Nobly did they repair the errors of their prede¬ 
cessors : earning the gratitude of all who delight in the 
restoration of the “ lanthorn of England.” 

The alterations and improvements reflect the greatest 
credit on Mr. Manners, the city architect, from whose 
plans they were completed. 

*_— 

























BATH ABBEY. 


25 


Let us proceed round the church, and note its more 
remarkable epitaphs. 

In the vestry-room (which building, singular to relate, 
projects into the adjoining parish of St. James) there is 
an interesting painted wooden tablet, to the memory 
of Captain Peter Chapman, the son of the Chapman 
mentioned by Leland, as one of the three clothiers by 
whose industry the city was supported after the 
monks were expelled. In reference to this ancient and 
honorable Bath family, we cannot do better than quote 
Wood, who says :—' s The royal grants that were made 
to this city between 1552 and 1590, were obtained by 
the interest of the above-named Peter Chapman, who 
was born in 1506. Entering the army of king Henry 
the Eighth, he was of the reinforcement which that 
monarch sent to Calais in 1540. He served at the 
siege of Boulogne in 1544, remaining in the army 
until 1600. During the reign of Elizabeth, he served 
under the Earl of Leicester, at Tilbury, when the queen 
was guarding against the Spanish armada. To this 
camp, as major of brigade, he, in his 82nd year, led 
eight hundred veteran soldiers ; cc yet,” says our author, 
“ his military achievements gained him little but an 
addition to his coat of arms, of a canton of the second, 
with an armed hand holding a broken lance, with a 
wreath upon it, for a crest; and with this he was 
satisfied, since his public services had procured his 
native city such advantages as must transmit his name 
to the latest posterity.” 

He had one son, William. Bichard, his brother. 










26 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


died in 1572, and was buried in the north aisle of the 
choir; “ from which circumstance,” says Wood, “ it 
received the name of Chapman s aisle.” William sur¬ 
vived until 15S6. He left two sons: William, who 
died in 1647 ; and George, who died in 1644, leaving 
also two sons, Simon, a captain of horse, and the cele¬ 
brated alderman Robert Chapman, apothecary to king 
James II., and thrice mayor of Bath. He preserved 
the family papers from which Wood says he obtained a 
great part of the history of Bath from the end of the 
fourteenth century to his own time. 

Henry Chapman, the author of Thermae Redivivce , 
was mayor in 1664 and in 1672, during which latter 
term he published his work avowedly for the purpose 
of attracting company to Bath ; and from that period 
to the year 1800, the name occurs seventeen times in 
the list of mayors of the city.* 

Returning to the south side of the choir, we see the 
tablet, erected by subscription, to perpetuate the me¬ 
mory of the descendant of another illustrious family— 
the Haringtons, of Kelston. 

Hr. Henry Harington died in this city at the advanced 
age of 89, on the 15th Jan., 1816. He was a man oi 



* Capt. J. J. Chapman, of the Royal Artillery, a descendant 
of this family, has been for years collecting drawings, engrav¬ 
ings, and works bearing upon the history of Bath. These he 
has deposited in the Royal Institution of this city for the public 
use; and I regret that I cannot publish his letter, in which he 
kindly volunteered his assistance in my present undertaking, of 
which I have availed myself in many instances. 






















® -—-© 

BATH ABBEY. 27 

tlie highest order of human intellect—an accomplished 
physician, a learned writer on sacred subjects, a first- 
rate classic, mathematician, and musician. He shed the 
lustre of his talents over every thing he undertook, for 
he added the taste and feeling of a poet to the learning 
of the man of science; and, as the mere companion, 
his urbanity and mildness, added to his rich fund of 
humour, both instructed and delighted his associates. 

The science of medicine was not his forte, his fame 
resting on his musical productions. A tract, published 
in 1806, in which he attempts to explain, typically, the 
doctrine of the Trinity by the natural indivisble trinity 
of simultaneous sounds, is among the curiosities of 
literature. As a poet, he wrote many pieces; among 
which may be mentioned the Witch of Wooheij, and 
the beautiful imitation of Spencer, which bears the 
signature of “Edgar,” displayed, for the benefit of the 
Bath hospital, of which he was physician, in the Pump- 
room. In music nothing came amiss to him, the light 
catch, or song, or sublime sacred chorus. His most 
celebrated composition is the “ Eloif arranged for 
three voices. Wherever he could assist in a good and 
charitable action, his purse was open; and few have 
died so sincerely lamented as the subject of this brief 
sketch. He was the founder of the Bath Harmonic 
Society, an institution which, fostering native talent 
wherever it is to be found, has done more for musical 
science than any institution of a similar nature. 

Near prior Birde’s chapel, is a fine monument, by 
Chantrey, erected to the memory of Mr. Hoare, the 
celebrated artist. 


© 


© 













A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


28 


The south transept contains a font, by no means of 
a character suitable to the church, bearing date 1710, 
inscribed with the 19th verse of the 28th chapter of 
St. Matthew’s gospel, surmounted by a canopy, finished 
by three grotesque wooden figures. 

Lady Waller’s monument, in this transept, is-a 
good specimen of the style adopted during the seven¬ 
teenth century. A warrior, in armour, raised on his 
right arm, mourns over his lady. At their feet a 
young daughter is seated, with a son at the head. The 
epitaph describes her as a “ right virtuous and worthy 
lady.” Sir William Waller, his sister, Lady Booth, 
and friend, Mr. Sturridge (a name since corrupted into 
Sturge), gave, in 1646, the sum of £300, the interest 
of which was to be devoted to the repairs of the Abbey 
church. This has ever since been faithfully laid out by 
the churchwardens for the time being. Sir William 
fought the battles of Lansdown and Boundaway, and 
was governor of Bath while in the possession of the 
Parliamentarians. His effigy is, with the exception of 
bishop Montague’s, the most remarkable monument 
within the walls. It is said that James II. hacked off 
the warrior’s nose in passing through the church with 
friar ILuddlestone—a miserable spite, yet indicative of 
the character of him who dared to introduce a Eomish 
priest to celebrate mass in the presence of the bishop 
himself. But Ken was no common prelate; he boldly 
stood forth, and king and priest slunk out abashed; 
the former (however erroneous, we firmly believe for 
conscience sake, and the besetting sin of his race—a too 

® --- 

















BATH ABBEY. 


29 


high notion of the divine right of kings), becoming, 
in less than two years, an outcast and a beggar. 

Opposite to this, we have a beautiful representation 
of the “ good Samaritan,” on the tomb of Jacob Bosan- 
quet, who died in 1767 . 

The first monument in the south aisle was erected 
to the memory of Beau Nash, several years after 
his decease. The subscriptions, which amounted to 
£13 135., did not realize the whole cost, which was 
but B18 I 85 . Dr. Harington is said to have originated 
the idea, and the beautiful classic epitaph was written 
by him. In announcing the completion .of the tablet, 
the following sentence occurs in the advertisement, 
thanking the Bev. Dr. Phillott for remitting the fees :— 

“ N. B. Should the remembrance of fifty years publick 
service to this city ever occasion the budget of gratitude 
to exceed the above expenditure, the surplus of surprise 
shall be duly announced to the public. 

It would be foreign to our purpose to note all the 
memorials of distinguished naval and military officers 
which adorn the walls; but we must pause to notice 
the mural tablet of Admiral Sir William Hargood, who 
died Dec. 12 , 1839. He was one of the companions 
in arms of our late king, William IV., a lieutenant 
in Lord Rodney’s action of thel 2 th of April, 1782, 
and captain of his majesty’s ship “ Belleislef in the 
memorable action of Trafalgar. Having served his 
country faithfully for seventy years, he died in this 
city at an advanced age. 

Near this is the monument of Quin, the actor, who 

© --- © 


















30 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

retired hither in his latter days. His epitaph, which has 
been often quoted, is from the pen of the celebrated 
David Garrick. 

Then Sir William Draper’s pompous and inflated 
epitaph. Little did he think that, in a few years, his 
fame would depend on the attacks he received from 
his antagonist, “Junius.” 

General Sir William and Lady Cockburn’s tomb 
arrests us, and we pause to admire it. 

Proceeding onward, there is one monument which, 
as a delighted student of true medical philosophy, T 
cannot pass unnoticed, for it records the resting-place 
of one to whom the science of medicine owes one of the 
most interesting works of the present century, “ The 
Elements of Pathology and Therapeutics.” Caleb 
Hillier Parry was descended from an ancient Pembroke¬ 
shire family, and was born on the 21st of October, 
1 755. In 1773, he went to Edinburgh. Yisiting 
London in 1775, he placed himself, for two years, under 
the celebrated Dr. Denman, father of the present lord 
■ chief justice. Returning to Edinburgh in 1777, he 
took his degree. During his studies there, he was 
president, and took an active part in procuring the 
charter of the Royal Medical Society, a body which 
can boast among its members many of the most dis¬ 
tinguished professors of the healing art. In 1778, he 
married Miss Rigby, a friend of Mrs. Barbauld; and 
after improving his mind by foreign travel, he settled 
in this city in 1779. He soon took that commanding 
position among his cotemporaries which his talents 


© 


















© 


BATH ABBEY. 31 

and acquirements justly warranted. He was a good 
musician, poet, and painter; an esteemed correspond¬ 
ent of Burke and Wyndham, on political subjects; 
and in various publications, he distinguished himself 
by his practical knowledge of agriculture ; correspond¬ 
ing with Sir Joseph Banks, Sir William Herscliell, 
and Dr. Jenner, shewing an intimate acquaintance with 
their peculiar objects of study. An indefatigable reader, 
a subtle mathematician, he sought knowledge for its 
own sake, and communicated its rich treasures with so 
playful a manner, that those who thought only on 
amusement derived instruction; indeed, so greatly was 
he respected, that, on his death, he was followed to the 
grave by his friends and fellow-practitioners, who erected 
this tablet to his memory. His valuable library was 
presented by his son, the present Dr. Parry, to the Bath 
United hospital. 

Near this is the monument of W. Bingham, a senator 
of the United States of America, by Flaxman, on which 
two female figures, bearing civic crowns, are admirably 
sculptured. 

We now come to the beautiful group of monumental 
tablets near the west door. That of Herman Katen- 
camp (British consul in Spain, who died in 1807), by 
the younger Bacon, presents to us a beautiful female 
figure decorating an urn with a garland; while, oppo¬ 
site, Colonel Champion’s, by Nollekins, has Fame with 
her trumpet surrounded by trophies, supporting a 
medallion portrait. 

Above this is the monument erected, by the Bath 

I 

©-—-© 
















A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


©- 

32 

knot of friendly brothers, to tlie memory of Gen. Sir 
Henry Johnson, bart., who died in 1833, with others 
of a chaste and simple character. 

Near the north-west door a tablet, upon which is 
inscribed the following epitaph, shows how little cotem¬ 
poraries sometimes judge of literary merit. The verse 
is by the celebrated Hr. Hoadley:— 

“ In this city lived and died Sarah, second daughter of Henry 
Fielding, by his first wife, daughter of Judge Gould; whose 
writings will be known as incentives to virtue and honor to her 
sex when this marble shall be dust. Born 1714, died 1768. 

Her unaffected manners, candid mind, 

Her heart benevolent, and soul resign’d, 

Were more her praise than all she knew or thought, 
Though Athens’ wisdom to her sex she taught.” * 

We then come to the tomb of a man whose writings, 
i perhaps, have caused more controversy than those of any 
other philosopher of modern times. It is plain and 
neat; the epitaph, though laudatory, implies too much, 
and is altogether unsatisfactory. A portion of it we 
transcribe:— 

“ Sacred to the memory of the Rev. Thomas Robert Malthus, 
long known to the lettered world by his admirable writings on 
the social branches of political economy, particularly by his 
Essay on Population. Born Feb. 14, 1766, died Dec. 29, 1834.” 

Near this we have a very beautiful and spirited 
representation of a female figure on the monument of 
alderman Jonathan Henshaw, who died in 1764; and 

* She was the sister of the author of Tom Jones; and trans¬ 
lated Xenophon’s Memoirs from the original Greek. 






















a neat and appropriate tablet to the memory of Capt. 
William Clarke Jervoise, R.N., by Westmacott. 

As a contrast, we notice the monument of C. M., 
representing a very fat infant sprawling on a grave, 
surrounded by various emblems of mortality. Mr. 
Markland, in his beautiful work, “ Remarks on Eng¬ 
lish Churches,” aptly describes this monument as of 
almost unrivalled ugliness. 

Near which is a plain mural tablet to the memory 
of Dr. William Oliver, one of the benefactors of the 
city. He was the first physician appointed to the Bath 
General hospital, and is represented, in Mr. Hoare’s 
celebrated picture, in the committee-room of that in¬ 
stitution, examining patients, with liis colleague, Mr. 
Jerry Peirce. He practised thirty-four years in Bath; 
wrote, in addition to other works, “ A Practical Treatise 
on the Bath Waters in Gouty Cases;” and his name 
is still perpetuated in the “ Oliver biscuits,” for which 
this city is famous. 

The next which claims our notice is that of Walsh 
Porter, who died in 1809. It is of the allegorical 
class, and represents an altar dedicated to Taste and 
Genius, on which is a lamp, the flame of which, as it 
were expiring, is seen to ascend. 

We are now arrested by the elaborate altar-tomb of 
the good bishop Montague, on which he is represented, 
in full episcopal habit, reclining, his hands folded in 
an attitude of prayer. This tomb occupies the space 
between two columns which divide the nave from the 
north aisle. He Avas born at Boughton, in Northamp- 

d 

©-© 













A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


<§>- 

34 

tonshire, the present seat of the cluke of Buccleuch, in 
1568. Educated at Cambridge, lie became master of 
Sidney Sussex college, in 1598 ; and, in 1604, dean of 
Worcester. In 1608, lie was consecrated to this dio¬ 
cese; and, in 1616, became bishop of Winchester. In 
| that city he died in 1618; and, still loving the church 
| to which he had so largely contributed, he desired to 
| be buried therein, and this monument was erected to 
his memory by his brothers. A long and useful career 
i was open to him, but he died at the comparatively early 
age of fifty, most deeply lamented. 

We pass on to the north transept. Against the organ 
gallery is a monument of an allegorical character, a 
woman warding off Death from a seated figure, having 
a dog at his feet, while Time displays his hour-glass with 
the sand run out. Above is a memorial to Mrs. Grieve. 

The first on the eastern aspect of this transept is that 
of Eletcher Partis, where we see a representation of the 
“ good Samaritan,” and right well did he deserve it, 
for he was the founder of Partis college, near this city, 
for the reception of decayed gentlewomen. 

Here, also, is a beautiful specimen of Chantrey’s skill, 
in the monument of Sir Richard Hussey Bickerton, bart. 

Next to this is Elaxman’s very chaste memorial of 
Dr. Sibthorp, the celebrated botanist. Then a monu¬ 
ment to Granville Pyper, of the later or debased style 
of the 17th century. Then Mary Brampton’s, with the 
bust of Charles II.’s time, and an epitaph by Dryden; 
and the mustachioed cavalier, Sir Philip Erowde, colonel 
of foot in king Charles’s army. 


© 























ABBEY CHURCH. 


35 


Entering tlie clioir by the centre door, under the 
organ gallery, we have the simple record of an extinct 
family, represented by a broken column on Colonel 
Walsh’s tomb; and a Gothic arched tomb, by Reeves, 
of Bath, to the memory of Joseph Sill, on which are 
represented two weeping female figures. The design 
is good, the execution elaborate, and it is altogether 
appropriate. 

Nor ought I to omit the plain memorial of one of 
the most honoured of my predecessors, Mr. Farnell, 
who, after having devoted forty-four years to the duties 
of his office, died, full of years and of honour, in 1829, 
at the advanced age of 80, bequeathing to that esta¬ 
blishment, which he had served so long and so faith¬ 
fully, a large portion of his savings. 

The touching memorial of the Kev. Charles Crook, 
rector of Bath, who died, at the age of 50, in Dec., 
1837, and of his wife, who, at the age of 44, followed 
him in the February of the next year, arrests our atten¬ 
tion as we walk beneath the north gallery. 

On the wall near the north gallery is the tablet of 
Thomas Haweis, LL.D. and M.D., the founder of the 
London Missionary Society. He was born at Truro, 
in 1734, and was apprenticed to a surgeon in that town. 
He afterwards went to Cambridge, and took the degree 
of LL.B. in 1772. When ordained he was appointed 
assistant chaplain to the Lock hospital, and became 
chaplain to the celebrated Countess of Huntingdon, 
who entrusted him with the distribution of her chari¬ 
ties, and appointed him her principal trustee. He not 














© 


36 A EAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

only officiated as a minister of religion, but took the 
degree of M.D., that he might be the more useful to 
his poorer brethren. He died in the 86th year of his 
age, at his house in Beaufort-buildings, Bath, on the 
11th of February, 1820. 

There are two near the communion table. The mural 
monument of Bartholomew Barnes, of black and white 
marble, supported by two gilt Corinthian columns, with 
the figures of a man and woman kneeling at a desk; 
under the man a son, with a swathed infant, below the 
woman five daughters praying—a good specimen of the 
early period of the 17th century. Opposite this is the 
beautiful statuary marble monument of the celebrated 
Lady Miller, of Batheaston villa, who died in 1781, by 
the elder Bacon, 

I might multiply this list of monuments, but wish 
merely to direct attention to those distinguished by 
artistic beauty or local interest. Britton, in his history 
of Bath Abbey Church, gives a list of 120 distinguished 
persons interred in the Abbey, with memoirs of forty. 

The Bath Journal of July 6th, 1752, contains an 
account of the funeral of John Bacon, who desired that 
he should be buried in his best wig, a ruffled shirt with 
sleeve buttons, a ring on his finger, velvet breeches, a 
new pair of pumps, with buckles, and white stockings, 
and that lie should be carried by his servants in full 
dress liveries. 

In the year 1813 was proved the will of Thomas 
Nash, who bequeathed £50 annually to the ringers, 
that they should ring doleful peals on the anniversaries 

©---— © 













ABBEY CHUBCII. 


37 


of liis marriage, and joyful ones on those of his death, 
to continue from eight in the morning to the same hour 
at night, in joyful remembrance of his happy release 
from domestic misery and wretchedness. The terms 
of this extraordinary will are not now complied with. 

There are ten bells in the tower, all cast by Bushall, 
in 1700, with the exception of two, added in 1774. 
The first is inscribed 

“ All you who hear this joyful sound, 

Thank Lady Hopton’s hundred pound.” 

The second and third bear the names of the minister 

— — • 

and churchwardens. The fourth, “ Peace, and good 
neighbourhood.” Fifth, 

“ Pray ring us true, 

We will praise you.” 

Sixth, “ Prosperity to all our benefactors.” Seventh, 
“ God prosper the church of England.” Eighth, 

“ When me you ring, 

I sweetly sing.” 

The register of this parish commences in 1569, and 
contains several licences to eat flesh on fast days, as 
required by statute; for queen Elizabeth and her im¬ 
mediate successors commanded abstinence from flesh 
meats on Friday, not from any superstitious notions, but 
avowedly to encourage the consumption of Jish.j and to 
give employment to poor mariners on the British coasts, 
the fisheries having languished at the Reformation. 

In 1653, several marriages, solemnized by the mayor, 

are registered. In 1658, there are certificates of the 

° * 

publication of banns in the Market-place. 









38 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 




<0lli CfjtuTfjrs anti <0tf)rr Uutftmujs. 

HE church of JJatnt jfftarj) tfc Stall, which 




was the parish church of that portion of the 


city which now forms the parish of St. Peter and St. 


Paul, occupied a portion of the plot of ground extend¬ 


ing from the end of the Pump-room portico, at the 
north corner of Stall-street, round Clieap-street to the 
passage leading through to the Abbey-yard, and back 
again to Stall-street. Antiquaries have erroneously 


described it as standing on the site of the temple of 


Minerva, but the head of Apollo (now standing on 
the mantel-piece of the lecture-room in the Royal in¬ 
stitution), found in its neighbourhood in 1727, proves 
this to have been the temple of Apollo (or the Sun), 
destroyed by St. David, in 596, when the first Christian 
church was built. The vicarage of Stall, with Widcombe 
attached, was given to the convent of Bath by bishop 
Button, in 1236. In 1322, an ordinance was made 
requiring the vicar constantly to reside in the parish, 
a house and glebe-lands being given him in Parsonage- 
lane. He was also compelled to provide a curate for 
the church of Widcombe; for this service he received 
the tithes of Lyncombe, Widcombe, and Berewyke, 
paying the yearly sum of fifty shillings and fourpence 
to the prior. It is by this ordinance that the rector of 
Bath still holds the vicarage of Widcombe, it having 
been confirmed by archbishop Grindal, in 1573, under 
letters patent from queen Elizabeth. 






















OLD C HUE CUES. 


39 


A portion of this ancient building may still be seen. 
In October, 1845, while Messrs. Arnold, the present 
tenants of one of the houses, were at work in their 
cellars, they found that the pavement gave a hollow 
sound. A mason cut through a three-inch pennant 
stone, and discovered beneath it an ancient crypt of 
well-built masonry. This cellar is of ancient work¬ 
manship, having numerous apertures built up, no doubt 
forming a portion of the ancient church. 

The will of alderman John Chapman was proved in 
this church in 1544, as appears in the registry of Wells. 
“ In 1584, the mayor and corporation,” says Warner, 
“ gave Sir Richard Meredith the consolidated rectory. 
He, in return, presented them with all the church pro¬ 
perty, with the exception of the parsonage-house, on a 
lease for fifty years, at a rental of £62. This oppor¬ 
tunity for erecting buildings was not lost; the sites of 
the ancient churches were destroyed, and the Abbey 
church polluted, disgraced, and spoiled by the mean 
residences and shops which were attached to its august 
walls.” In 1819 the Corporation resolved not to renew 
the leases; in 1823, two houses were taken down; and 
all were removed in 1834, when the building under¬ 
went a thorough repair. 

At the dissolution, Stall’s church paid the monastery 
£8 15s. per annum. 

The church of ^atltt JlfltfijclcT, intra muros , for¬ 
merly a temple dedicated to Diana (or the Moon), 
was situate in Westgate-street, at the corner of Cross 
Bath-lane, immediately opposite the lane where the 












© 


40 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

armourers’ shops were, called, from that circumstance, 
Spurrier’s-lane, a name afterwards changed to Bride¬ 
well, in consecpience of an ancient prison occupying the 
site of the present charity schools. This church was a 
large building, with tower, nave, and side aisles, built 
originally at the same time as Stall’s church. In 1180, 
it was thoroughly repaired by bishop Eitzjocelyne, who 
attached the hospital of St. John the Baptist to its 
living. In 1590 it was destroyed. 

The church of Satnt iHarp, intra viuros, (called 
by Sir Thomas Speke, in his certificate to king Edward, 
in 1553, the “ paryshe of our la dye within the gate of 
Bathe,”) w T as thoroughly repaired by Eitzjocelyne in 
1180. Godwin, “ De presulibus Anglice” declares it 
to have been of great anticpiity. We find that so late 
as 1541 rectors were appointed to it. It joined the 
north gate, and its tower formed the tolbooth, or city 
prison, from 1590 to 1770. In Emanuel Bowmn’s 
Map it is called the Eree school. 

Of the church of Jratnt fEtan), extra muros , further 
than that it stood on the banks of the river eastward, 
no record can be obtained. It is supposed to have 
been at the bottom of Al’vord, afterwards Boat-stall, 
and now Slippery-lane, where formerly existed a ferry 
to Bathwick. 

The chapel of £atnt 0ameS was situate on the 
south-east rampart; while another, dedicated to JJatttt 
Helena, the mother of Constantine the Great, stood 
between the north gate and Walcot, in Ladymead. 

There was a chapel, dedicated to ^atnt Haimeiue, 

©--- -- 



















OLD CHURCHES. 


41 


on the Old bridge, giving its name to that structure, 
built in 1362. Previously the only passage was by 
ford or ferry. Before the erection of the dams at 
Twerton the river was easily fordable. 

The Sanctuan) (Chapel, dedicated to St. Waere- 
burgh, who died in 699, as well as to St. John the 
Evangelist, and to St. Catherine, the patroness of the 
city of Bath, was founded by Nicholas, bishop of 
Llandaff, in 1170, at the request of the prior and 
monks. In the Commissioners’ Accounts, filed in the 
Augmentation office, London, in 1553, it is called 
“ Wayborough chapel,”—an erroneous orthography, 
arising from an error in transcribing the ancient manu¬ 
script. The dipthong m was anciently a e, in separate 
letters, while the r resembled the modern y, or written g. 
“Lada” and “wsere” are synonimous, both meaning 
“ sanctuary.” This chapel, which occupied the site of 
the present Fountain-buildings, was completely dilapi¬ 
dated at the Reformation, when king Edward gave it 
to the Grammar school. Its yearly rental was,/or the 
church , sixpence; for the garden, one shilling ; and six 
shillings for Lady or St. Waereburgh’s mead. Now, 
if the plot of ground, extending from the corner to 
Hay-hill, paid one shilling and sixpence, the mead, 
paying six shillings, must have been of considerable 
extent. In 1670, this property, without the mead, 
was leased by the Corporation for ninety-nine years, at 
a yearly rental of eightpence. In 1749, Wood describes 
Broad-street as extending as far northward as Wsere- 
burgh church, then an alehouse over the cistern which 
supplied the conduits in the upper part of the old city. 













42 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

In 1766, another lease was granted for building to 
various parties, at a rental (as appears from the report 
of the Charity Commissioners) amounting in all to £36. 
It was then denominated Fountain-buildings, from their 
occupying the site of the cistern. 

Saint iESEtntfretl^ was a small chapel, near a 
spring on the High common, below Somerset-place. 

Among the religious buildings which have been 
destroyed, two deserve our notice. In Frog-lane (now 
New Bond-street) stood the Presbyterian Meeting¬ 
house, which, after having been used for a variety of 
purposes, was converted into an equestrian circus, where 
Ducrow, in 1805, performed as a boy. This building 
was pulled down in 1810. The old Quakers’ Meet¬ 
ing-house stood at the west end of Marcliant’s-court 
(nowNorthumberland-place),and was removed in 1806, 
when Union-street was laid out. 


public (Pontrutt*. 

While the ecclesiastics provided for the spiritual 
welfare of the city, they were mindful of the health 
and cleanliness of the inhabitants. To effect this, they, 
at various periods, erected stately conduits—no mean 
specimens of architectural skill—and well supplied with 
pure water. 

Wood describes them as all situated in open and 
exposed situations. The first he mentions is Carn well, 
of which the remains now exist opposite the Bladud’s 

©'-* --- * - “ - - 










PUBLIC CONDUITS. 


43 


Head inn, Walcot-street. From tlie back of an alcove, 
surmounted by a tower, the water issued into a basin 
for public use. It was destroyed about 1740. 

Broad-street had a stone conduit in its centre. 

St Michael’s stood in the open space in front of the 
ancient church. It was a handsome structure ; its base 
formed a perfect cube, having a dome-shaped tower of 
considerable height, bearing a square pedestal, with 
coats of arms, and surmounted by an hour-glass of 
stone; each front was ornamented with a niche, from 
which the water issued. 

Below this, and immediately within "the north gate, 
was a most elegant building, called St. Mary’s conduit. 
It was quadrangular, surmounted by a domed roof, 
with a globe above pierced by a pinnacle; smaller 
globes ornamented each of the corners, four streams 
constantly issuing. 

The Market-place was adorned with the High Cross 
conduit, which stood between the ancient Guildhall 
and the Abbey; Stall’s conduit, between Cheap and 
Westgate streets; with another at the bottom of Stall- 
street, opposite St. James’s church, from which it 
derived its name. 

These conduits appear to have been bountifully 
supplied with water from St. Swithin’s well, on the slope 
of Beacon-hill. Wood describes this as a remarkable 
spring. “ Persons,” says he, “ from great distances, 
come to fill their bottles and pitchers at Carn well. 
Its water is of singular efficacy in weak eyes.” 

In Sir Thomas Speke’s report to king Edward (to 











44 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


which we have already referred) it is called Walcot’s 
water, returning, in 1553, a rental of sixteen pence. 
It was given by that amiable monarch to the Grammar 
school, having, previously to the Reformation, been 
rented by the priory of Rath for the supply of their 
conduits, at a variable rental payable in bread to the 
poor of Walcot parish. 

Leland, in 1530, describes Holloway as a “ rocky 
hill, full of fair springs of water;” and Henry Chap¬ 
man, in 1673, commences his description of Bath by 
informing us of the bountiful supply of pure water, 
“ especially in the village adjoining it southwards, 
wliere,” says he, “there are fifty, if not more, habita¬ 
tions, where scarce one house makes use of the water 
that served another, each one enjoying a particular 
spring to itself. From two of its hills the city, by 
pipes of lead, is not only plentifully served into common 
conduits, but also not a few of the private houses are 
supplied within doors at such easy rates that few places 
enjoy the like; and this, being carried through streets, 
lanes, and byeways, is not only for indoor occasions, 
but, in case of fire, is very ready to be made use of.” 

Wood informs us, in 1739, that most of the conduits 
had become useless, some of them being replaced by 
single taps fixed against a house; they were all removed 
when the various streets were widened and improved, 
and no care was taken for a public gratuitous supply. 

In the year 1835, the Report of the Corporation 
Reform Commissioners was published, with notes, in 
Bath, and from it we learn that the Corporation pos¬ 
ts)--- 










PUBLIC CONDUITS. 


45 


sessed the springs of Beacon-liill and Beechen-cliff, and 
that the Sham-castle springs were vested in them by 
Act of Parliament in 1769 ; but that every great landed 
proprietor continued to supply his own tenants. In 
1791, a public company was formed for the supply of 
St. James’s-square and the neighbourhood, which it 
did for seven years, when the Corporation purchased 
the plant. In 1816, this body modified the water rents, 
and expended, in 1832, d63,000 in increasing the 
supply and laying down new pipes. 

When Dr. Parry built Summer-hill house on Sion- 
liill, in 1790, the lane, now forming the road by Caven¬ 
dish-place, was a clayey swampy ditch, without any 
hedge or railing between it and the Common. This, 
which was anciently called Mud brook, formed the 
western boundary of the city, and still flows in an 
uninterrupted and tolerably large stream into the Avon, 
near Dredge’s Suspension bridge. 

Another brook forms the western boundary of St. 
Michael’s parish. It runs behind Milsom-street, from 
a pool of water which, prior to the improvements of 
the city, was open at the east end of George-street, 
below Edgar-buildings, erected, in 1768, on a close of 
land then called Town acre. This stream ran into the 
city ditch, escaping at the south gate, under the name 
of Bun ditch. It discharges itself into the Avon above 
the Old bridge. 

In 1845, the Report on the Sanatory Condition of 
Bath, drawn up by Sir Henry de la Beche, was pub¬ 
lished by authority of Parliament. He says there are 















A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 




® 


46 


seven independent water companies for the supply of 
various private properties, independent of the Corpo¬ 
ration. Unprotected by parliamentary sanction, no 
competition can take place. Much of the water is 
wasted; Mr. Little stating in his evidence, that the 
surplus water of the Circus company is sufficient for 
the supply of the densely-populated Avon and Milk 
streets, (the poorest portion of the city), for seven 
months in the year, requiring no further outlay than 
the laying down of pipes. He also states that he 
knows but of three stand pipes for the supply of 
the poor, and these only supplied for certain hours in 
the morning, “the others get their supply how they 
can and that there are no arrangements against fire 
beyond the supplies obtained from the pipes. 

An act was passed in 1846 for bringing the water, 
arising from the springs at Bathampton and Batheaston, 
into Bath, by which means a plentiful supply of this 
pidispensable blessing will now be secured to the city. 


®})c Jiattjcs of 33atl)c SartJf.* 

A 4 ROCEEDING to the Baths and Pump-rooms, 
let us, while admiring their grandeur and conve¬ 
nience, take a cursory view of their rise and progress 
to their present state of perfection. We will not pause 

* By this name Dr. Jones, the first author who wrote on the 
use of the Bath Waters, describes the mineral springs in 1572. 

© - © 


1 










THE HOT BAT1IS. 


47 


to inquire whether the hot springs led the Homans to 
form a settlement here; or whether, attracted by the 
beauty and salubrity of the vale, so well protected by 
its verdant hills, they selected it as an important mili¬ 
tary station, for both appear to have had their influence. 
Inhabitants of a more genial clime, they loved spots 
sheltered from the bleak north winds, and were accus¬ 
tomed to look on baths as daily necessaries. 

The Homan baths were, for ages, lost; for the monks, 
unaware of their existence, built the monastery on their 
site, erecting baths adjoining Stall’s churchyard, where 
the Great Pump-room stands. 

Their remains were discovered in 1755. The foun¬ 
dations were twenty feet from the surface; the walls 
of wrought stone, eight feet high. The semi-circular 
bath was fifteen feet in diameter, floored with smooth 
flag-stones, having a stone seat running round, eighteen 
inches high. The descent was by seven steps. A 
channel ran along the bottom, at a right angle towards 
the present King’s bath. Near this was a large oblong 
bath, having a colonnade, on three sides, with pilasters, 
intended to support the roof. On one side of it were 
two square sudatories, supported on bricks, and pillars 
four feet and a half high, about fourteen inches apart, 
forming a hypocaust, or vault for retaining heat. The 
walls were set round with tubulated bricks, about 
eighteen inches long, with an orifice opening inwards 
to communicate heat to the apartment. The fireplace, 
a small conical arch, was near the outward wall, on 
each side of which were two sudatories, with smaller 














48 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


batlis, and rooms used preparatory to entering the 
bath or sudatory. These rooms communicated with 
each other, and were paved with small die-stones, of 
various colours, forming tesserae. The waste water was 
conveyed to the Avon by a regular set of channels; 
above these baths several stone coffins, with various 
relics of a later period, were discovered. 

It appears strange to us, of modern times, that bishop 
Beckyngton should threaten with fine and excommuni¬ 
cation all who bathed without proper clothing; but, 
for the preservation of morality, this became necessary 
in 1449. Nash abolished the custom of both sexes 
bathing together ; but even now, bathers, in the King 
and Queen’s baths, are exposed to the observation of 
the neighbouring houses. 

Dr. Jones gives us an idea of the baths when queen 
Elizabeth visited them. Many houses near the springs 
had entrances to them. The inhabitants (like the com¬ 
missioners of modern continental hotels) beset visitors, 
each recommending his own bath, a nuisance so intole¬ 
rable that the Corporation petitioned king James (his 
consort, queen Ann, having used the bath which Bellot 
enclosed in 1610, from which circumstance it was called 
the Queen’s bath) to enclose them; but this intention 
was frustrated by the king’s death, and the subsequent 
civil wars. 

In 1624, Sir Francis Stoner gave a sum of money 
for improving the King’s bath. 

In 1628, Dr. Vernier says, “the baths were so fairly 
built, that they exceeded all others.” 



© 










THE HOT BATHS. 


49 


Ill 1631, Dr. Jordan says, “lie is sorry lie cannot 
recommend their internal use,” as they could not be 
procured clear enough for drinking. “ The streets,” says 
he, “ are dunghills, slaughter-houses, and pig-styes. 
The butchers dress their meat at their own doors, 
while pigs wallow in the mire. The baths are bear¬ 
gardens, where both sexes bathe promiscuously; while 
the passers-by pelt them with dead dogs, cats, and pigs.” 

In 1644, queen Henrietta, the wife of Charles I., 
came for the benefit of the waters. In 1663, king 
Charles II. brought queen Catherine to Bath for the 
same purpose. 

The next year, under captain Henry Chapman, the 
baths, pumps, &c., were renovated. 

In 1673, Sir Alexander Frazer, the king’s physician, 
caused drinking pumps to be attached to the springs. 

In 1688, Dr. Guidott calls the springs “the metro¬ 
politan waters of all England;” and in this year the 
earl of Melfort erected a cross in the bath used by 
Mary, the consort of king James II., from which 
circumstance it is supposed to derive its name ; but 
Leland, in 1538, described it as having a cross in the 
centre. “ There be 2 springes of wliote wather in the 
w r est-south-west part of the towne, whereof the bigger 
is caullid the Crosse bath , because it hath a cross 
erectid in the middle of it. This bath is much fre- 
quentid, and is temperate and pleasant, having a 11 or 
12 arches of stone for menne to stonde under yn tyme 
of reyne.” 

Queen Anne, with prince George, her consort, visited 


E 













50 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


Bath in 1702, when the old Pump-room was erected 
under the auspices of Beau Nash. This building was 
enlarged in 1751, and, after several repairs and im¬ 
provements, was taken down by the Corporation in 1796, 
and replaced by the present commodious structure. On 
its pediment is inscribed, in gilt letters, the following 
line from Pindar:— 

“ API2TON MEN TAQP.”* 

Dr. Sutherland thus describes the baths in 1760 :— 
“ The slips resemble cells for the dead, rather than 
rooms for the living; their avenues are dark and nar¬ 
row, far less conspicuous than the entrances of the 

* This motto was placed on the Grand Pump-room, by the 
advice of Dr. Harington. Pindar, who flourished 480 years 
before the Christian era, was esteemed by the ancients as the 
first of lyric poets. “ His precepts,” says Sir William Boyd, 
in his learned and comprehensive History of Literature, “ are 
just; his sentiments pure; his odes had the aid of musical 
instruments, and were composed in honour of the victors in the 
various games. So great was the veneration in which he was 
held, that the Spartans carefully preserved his house when they 
destroyed Thebes ; and Alexander the Great paid him the same 
respect when he reduced that city to ashes.” Sir William gives 
us the following elegant translation ; — 

Chief of Nature’s works divine, 

Water claims the highest praise; 

Richest offspring of the mine, 

Gold, like fire, whose flashing rays 
From afar conspicuous gleam 

Through the night’s involving cloud, 

First in lustre and esteem, 

Decks the treasure of the proud. 










THE HOT BATHS. 


51 


meanest inns. The baths are unseemly ponds, exposed 
to wind and rain, as well as to the public gaze.” 

In May, 1788, Leonard Coward, the mayor, laid the 
foundation of the present private baths in Stall-street, 
on which was inscribed a Latin inscription, which caused 
much mirth to the wits of the day; and the next week’s 
Journal inserted it, with the following translation, con¬ 
tained in a letter written in the name of the Abbey 
sexton, in which he expresses himself under consider¬ 
able obligation to the sons of Esculapius, but doubts 
the legitimacy of Hygteia, his daughter:— 

HYG.EI-E 

iESCULAPII FILI.E 
THERMULjE VOTIVLE, 

a. c. 1788, 

SUB 

LEONARDO COWARD, 

PR.ETORE URBANO. 

T. EALDWIN, ERUXIT. 

Private Warm Baths, 

Devoted to Hygaeia, 

The daughter of Esculapius, 

A. C. 1788, 

Provided at the public expense 
In the time of Leonard Coward, 

Mayor of the city. 

T. Baldwin, Architect. 

Near the Cross bath is the Hot bath and Pump-room, 
where the water rises from the earth at a temperature 
of 117 degrees Fahrenheit. Here, also, are seven 
private baths, which are considered the finest in the 














52 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATII. 


/ 


world, fitted with white marble and glazed white tiles. 
Each contains more than fourteen hogsheads of water, 
which flows in in about five minutes. To every bath 
there is a separate dressing-room. A douche, with 
reclining, vapour, and shower baths, of a very com¬ 
modious description, are among the arrangements; and 
a new tepid swimming bath, sixty-two feet long and 
twenty-three feet wide, which contains six hundred and 
seventy hogsheads of water, at a temperature of 88°. 

The King’s bath is very ancient, for, in 1236, we 
find the prior disbursing a sum of money for its 
enclosure. It is sixty feet long, by forty-one feet 
wide. It is filled daily to the height of four feet seven 
inches, and contains something more than three hundred 
and fourteen tons of water.* 

* The natural temperature of the Bath waters, as they issue 
from the earth, at the King’s bath, at the rate of 186,000 gal¬ 
lons in twenty-four hours, varies between 117 and 114 degrees 
Fahrenheit. At the other three springs the temperature is 
lower. Upon chemical analysis of the Bath waters, they are 
found to contain in one pint, according to Mr. Whicker :— 


Grains. 

Chloride of Sodium. 1.89031 

- Magnesium . 1.66744 

Sulphate of Potassa . 0.36588 

- Soda . 2.42145 

- Lime. 10.20303 

Carbonate of Lime . 1.33339 

Protocarbonate of Iron. 0.03032 

Alumina . 0.01885 

Silica . 0.40419 

Extractive matter . „ „ 

Grains. 18.33486 


Carbonic acid gas.... S at a temp. > ... .0,05 cub. in. 
Atmospheric air .... ( of 114 c ^ .... 1,74 cub.in. 

























THE HOSPITALS. 


53 


The Queen’s hath adjoins the King’s, and is supplied 
from the same spring. It it twenty-five feet square. 

The private baths are also supplied from this spring; 
each being ten feet long, by six feet wide. They each 
contain thirteen hogsheads of water. 

The diseases which are benefited by the Bath waters 
are—palsy, gout, rheumatism, nervous derangements, 
in which the brain is not materially affected, leprosy, 
chronic diseases of the skin, palsy from lead, poisonous 
effects of mercury or other minerals; pain, weakness 
or contraction of limbs, dyspeptic complaints, biliary 
and visceral obstructions, &c. 

Dr. Granville, after remarking upon the efficacy of 
the waters in the above complaints, adds :—“ There is 
another class of diseases not mentioned in the fore¬ 
going enumeration of those benefited by the Bath 
waters, which ought not to be passed over lightly : I 
allude to those referable to the female constitution. 
During nineteen years’ practice as an accoucheur in the 
Metropolis, I can safely aver that I have had reason to 
be highly satisfied on very many occasions with the 
Bath waters. Baden-Baden does not afford better 
results in such cases, although so much vaunted on that 
score; and Tonbridge Wells water is decidedly inferior 
to it.” 

These baths do not relax the body, diminish the 
strength, or exhaust the spirits, even in persons previ¬ 
ously weakened by disease; for, after remaining twenty 
or thirty minutes, they come out of the bath refreshed, 
and their spirits lighter and more cheerful. Dr. Lucas 










A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


®- 

54 

says, “ The Bath waters, from the nature of their 
contents, are found particularly beneficial in a relaxed 
state of the fibres, by bracing and strengthening the 
solids.” 

Sir George Gibbes, Dr. Spry, Dr. Barlow, and other 
distinguished physicians, bear testimony to the benefit 
dyspeptic patients derive from their use; and Dr. 
Falconer observes, that ‘‘every medical practitioner 
at this place has seen instances of people labouring 
under want of appetite, pain, and spasm of the stomach 
and bowels, with all the symptoms of depraved diges¬ 
tion, joined to a very great degree of weakness, both 
of body and spirits, relieved by the use of the Bath 
waters. The recovery in such cases is particularly 
remarkable, taking place cpiickly after the commence¬ 
ment of the remedy. A few days will frequently work 
such a change as would be scarcely credible were it of 
less common occurrence.” 

They warm and comfort the stomach, act as a 
gentle stimulant and bracer to the relaxed fibres, and 
promote that natural appetite to which the dyspeptic 
patient has long been a stranger. 

When, however, any of these complaints are accom¬ 
panied with pain of the chest, cough, or spitting of 
blood, palpitation of the heart, too great a determination 
of blood to the head, acute inflammation, or general 
fever, abscess, suppuration of the joints, or ulcer of 
any kind, or if epileptic fits have occurred, the waters 
arc injurious. 

The whole of the baths and Pump-rooms, with the 













THE HOSPITALS 


55 


exception of the Kingston, were, until lately, under the 
jurisdiction of the city. They are now tenanted by 
Messrs. Green and Simms, under the mayor and corpo¬ 
ration. These gentlemen, by judicious management, 
have raised them to the highest degree of luxury and 
elegance, so that the mineral spa of Bath may challenge 
pre-eminence with any in the world, whether we regard 
the completeness of the arrangements for the comfort 
of the invalid, or the amusements of the visitor of rank 
and fashion. 


Cijc hospitals. 

«ATH, says Dr. Guidott, writing in 1673, “ is 
one great hospital;” and most truly may it be 
said, that no city, ancient or modern, possesses so many 
noble charities. Here, indeed, has misery always sought 
and obtained that relief which no other place can afford. 
Whether we regard the noble foundations of our fore¬ 
fathers, or the still increasing munificence of our own 
times, we feel a pride that this city, so bountifully 
supplied by an all-wise Creator, invites all, rich and 
poor, alike to partake of the blessings of its healing- 
springs. 

In the following sketch we purpose to give such an 
account of them as may explain the general objects of 
their foundations. 

In 1536, prior Gibbs returned to the king’s com- 



















56 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


missioners the sum of J610 2s. 6d., as paid by him in 
pence to the lepers and other poor persons who resorted 
to Bath, under various charters. We have undoubted 
evidence that, from the earliest periods, provision was 
made for poor strangers resorting to the springs. The 
monastery had attached to it an Ambrey-house, so called 
from a Saxon word, signifying a place for keeping pro¬ 
visions. The Lear lands, within the south gate, but 
without the walls of the convent, were appropriated for 
their lodging; and John of Tours erected a bath for 
them near his own in the Abbey churchyard. 

The oldest charity is the HcperS’ pl)o£pttal, founded 
by bishop Robert de Lewes. He embroiled himself in 
state affairs during king Stephen’s commotions with the 
empress Maude. Having taken Geoffrey Talbot, one 
of her spies, and clapped him in “durance vile,” the 
Bristol people (warm adherents of the empress) came 
unexpectedly over to Bath, and took, as the old chro¬ 
nicler has it, “ the bishop away with them to Bristol.” 
Both were soon after released. 

In 1138, he built a small hospital, near the Hot 
bath, for the accommodation of seven lepers, appropri¬ 
ating to their use a bath on the spot. In Wood’s 
time it had become a hovel, situated at the corner of 
“No where”-lane, so called in consequence of Mr. 
Robert Chapman, who was mayor in 1669, having a 
servant girl fond of slipping out at the back door, who, 
when discovered, said she had been “ no wherebut 
being traced to this spot, which had previously no name, 
it was called “ No where”-lane. It was a passage from 












THE HOSPITALS. 57 

the Hot bath to Westgate-buildings, across which the 
engine-house of the Sun hire-office is now built. 

In 1712, Miss Strode, of Downside, gave £5 yearly 
to this hospital, directing it to be paid between eleven 
and twelve o’clock on Lady-day, in the chancel of the 
Abbey church, that is to say, during morning service. 
This payment was continued until 1786, when the hos¬ 
pital was destroyed. 'In 1 825, a decree was obtained 
from the Court of Chancery that this sum, with the 
arrears, should be paid the president and governors of 
the Bath hospital, who annually receive it out of the 
Tadwick estate. 

The next in point of antiquity is the hospital of 
3Jolw tbe $5aptfet, founded by bishop Bitzjocelyne 
in 1174, who endowed it with £22 195. 6 d. yearly. 
Sir Thomas Speke examined its revenues, in 1553. 
“ There is,” says he, in his report to the king, “ an 
hospital called St. John’s, having lands, tenements, 
and hereditaments thereunto belonging, of the clear 
yearly value of £25 135. 8 d. This hospital was erected, 
it is said, for the relief of six poor men, and one priest, 

I or master, to serve them, having their continual living 
upon the same. The hospital is annexed to the parish 
church of St. Michael, intra muros, and the parson is 
master of the hospital ; the residue of the profits is 
employed and received by the said master. No foun¬ 
dation shown, nor would the master appear.” 

Now, let us translate the first grants from the Latin 
originals, preserved in the Harleian Collection of 
Manuscripts :— 
















58 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


“Reginald, bishop of Bath, gives to the hospital of 
St. John the Baptist one bundle of hay, yearly, from 
every acre of the episcopal lordship of Bath; and the 
prior and convent give one bundle of hay from each of 
their houses for ever, a tenth of their convent's bread, 
cheese, and bacon, annually made in the convent kitchen ; 
and we, the bishop, do concede to the prior and convent 
that they shall for ever ordain and dispose of the goods 
in the hospital as of free alms. We wish that the 
chaplain appointed to minister shall be free from 
all exactions, and that he shall answer to no one in 
anything .” 

The prior and monks were well paid for this gift. 
The bishop gave them four marks of silver from the 
pence paid by the city to the archdeaconry, two por¬ 
tions of firewood, weekly, from his park, a right of 
pasturage for two horses and two cows, with a run of 
one hundred sheep on Lansdown, then spelled Lantes- 
dune, a Saxon word, signifying an open slope without 
wood. 

Walter Haselshaw, bishop of Bath and Wells, re¬ 
voked this grant in 1312, giving the hospital, in lieu 
thereof, one hundred shillings annually. 

This charity survived the Reformation; then (as they 
all did) becoming vested in the Crown by act of par¬ 
liament, king Edward AT. dispatched commissioners 
throughout the kingdom to discover what were then 
called “ concealed lands.” Being suffered to dilapi¬ 
date, queen Elizabeth granted it a share of the money 
raised by brief for the restoration of the Abbey in the 


© 


© 












THE HOSPITALS. 59 

year 1573. The Corporation, in whom the patronage 
had been vested by queen Elizabeth, resolved that the 
mayor, for the time being, should be master of the 
hospital, and that they should dispose of its revenues 
as they pleased. This continued until 1662, when, 
omitting to present, king Charles II. gave the hospital 
to his chaplain, John Rustat, who, in 1665, granted his 
brother Tobias a lease of the property, at a rental of 
<£130. This lease terminating in 1711, Mr. Clement, 
the master, leased it to his son on the same terms. 
Dying in 1716, the Rev. John Chapman, who succeeded 
him, filed a bill, and gained a decree which set this 
lease aside, directing the rent to be £163 15s. 2 d., 
and the fine not less than £3,922. In 1727, Wood was 
employed to rebuild the hospital. It was his first work 
in the city; the design is another’s. The leases granted 
after the decree fell in in 1813, when the fines, amount¬ 
ing to £5,000, were fairly divided between the master 
and almspeople, he receiving two-thirds, and they one. 

The master is bound to keep the building in repair, to 
provide for the regular performance of divine worship, 
and to pay a nurse. There are six men and six women, 
who each have a separate apartment, receiving £2 
a year for coat and coal money, and five shillings weekly. 
They are required to be fifty years of age, unmarried, 
and ten years resident in Bath; members of the Church 
of England, of good report. The appointment rests 
with the master. The Charity Commissioners, in 1820, 
reported that the affairs of this hospital were well 
managed. Above the hospital, the rooms are let in 

I 

® —-—— --- - © 







60 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


tenements; although they were originally erected by 
the Duke of Chandos, for the accommodation of the 
nobility and gentry; they are unconnected with the 
hospital, excepting in so far as they increase the 
revenue. 

St, (ftatJjmne’S Jl}o£pttal is stated to have been 
built by seven sisters, of the name of Bimbury, on some 
arable land within the town wall, called, by Sir Thomas 
Speke, in his report, “ Bynburye landes, 5 ’ anciently 
belonging to a family of that name. Wood is in error 
when he says it derived its name from Catherine, of 
Arragon, queen Mary’s mother. We have already said 
that St Catherine was patroness of the city of Bath, 
it being part of the ancient oath that every freeman 
should keep her day holy, as may be seen in the Codex 
Ruber Batlionice, now preserved in the library at Long- 
leat,—a most interesting manuscript, containing the 
legend of St. Catherine, written by one of the monks 
in the 15 th century. The following, which Warner 
gives, we take the liberty to modernize:— 

“ Sovereigns and friends that be now here, 

And that would like your souls to save, 

List to a lesson of heart’ly cheer, 

With heart’ly cheer ye shall it have.. 

“ So shall a lesson of health be taught, 

How that ye shall heaven win; 

Have it, and learn it, forget it not, 

Of the maid and martyr, St. Katerynne.” 

It derives its other name, “ The Black Alms,” from 
the colour of the gowns worn by the almspeople. It 








THE HOSPITALS, 


61 


was included in the grant of lands given to the Corpo¬ 
ration for charitable uses by king Edward, in 1552. 
These consisted of eighty-two tenements, including the 
"White Hart inn, Fountain-buildings, Bladud-buildings, 
(these two forming the old Waereburgh mead), the 
Monks’ mill, and many others. “ The same spirit,” 
says Warner, “ which had been manifested with respect 
to St. John’s, appeared in this case also, so that, in 
1735, a decree was obtained from the Court of Chan¬ 
cery for the restoration of lands;” and a long chancery 
suit has just terminated by the Corporation agreeing 
to surrender certain property to the charity trustees, 
for the use of the hospital and the free school founded 
by king Edward YI. 

Wood describes the hospital as a “mean edifice, two 
stories high, with a frontage of eighty-five feet in 
Bynburye-lane.” He says, “it receives thirteen poor 
people, inhabitants of Bath, ten of whom are clothed 
in sable garments, and receive an allowance of fourteen 
pence weekly.” In 1825, this building was pulled 
down, to make room for the United hospital, the Cor¬ 
poration erecting another near its site, It is a colle¬ 
giate building, of the Elizabethan style. The Charity 
Commissioners, in 1820, report that ten poor women 
receive 3s. 6d. weekly, with a black gown once in two 
years ; and that the vacancies are filled up by the 
mayor for the time being. This continued until the 
corporation reform bill of 1835, since which period the 
charity property has been vested in the hands ot trus¬ 
tees, who require that candidates for vacancies shall 




















62 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


have been housekeepers, except in very urgent cases, 
and that they shall be recommended by twenty rate¬ 
payers at least. They now clothe and maintain the 
full number of fourteen pensioners. 

In the extensive grants of land thus given by king 
Edward, the (grammar icdjool largely participated. 
He gave them the west gate, in the year 1553, for their 
school-room. In 1572, it was removed to the body of 
the desecrated church of St. Mary, by the north gate, 
where it continued until the present school-house was 
built by the Corporation, in 1752. The following is a 
copy of the petition of the citizens for these lands :— 

“ Memorandum,—That I, the mayor of Bath, with 
the citizens of the same town, do desire the lands and 
tenements hereunto annexed, of the king’s majesty’s 
gift, to us and our successors for ever, to teach a 
free Grammar school there, and also for the relief 
of the poor people : in witness, # c., by me, Edward 
Ludwell.” 

King Edward, reciting this petition in his grant, 
declares it to be a free Grammar school for ever, for 
the education and instruction of boys and young men. 

Prior to the Reformation, the tithes were in the 
hands of the clergy, but they did not receive them all. 
One-third was expended on the church itself, enabling 
them not only to employ the people, but to enrich and 
adorn the country with splendid specimens of architec¬ 
tural skill; another third went to the poor; and the 
remaining third was the priest’s. The youth were 
educated by them, and the monasteries formed schools. 












THE HOSPITALS. 


63 


Young ladies were received into nunneries, for their 
education; while religious persons, of both sexes, 
taught the children of the poor. This system was 
changed by Henry VIII.; the church lands were seques¬ 
trated by gift or sale, so that the tithes came into the 
possession of the laity. In king Edward’s reign, there¬ 
fore, a petition for the poor was to be expected, and 
many of the church lands were devoted to their service, 
and to the foundation of free schools. In the reign of 
queen Elizabeth, compulsory assessments for the relief 
of the poor became necessary, and were enforced by 
acts of parliament, which continued until the passing 
of the poor law, in 1834. The churches, also, dilapi¬ 
dated by time, became ruinous, and king Charles I., a 
century afterwards, at the request of archbishop Laud, 
issued a king’s letter, calling on parishes to repair the 
buildings dedicated, by their pious ancestors, to the 
service of the Most Hig'h. 

No sooner, however, had the corporations throughout 
the kingdom got possession of these lands, than fraud 
and sequestration became apparent, so that an act of 
parliament was passed, in 1601, “ to redress the 
misemployment of lands, &c., heretofore given for 
charitable uses.” Under this act, king George II. 
issued a commission, in 1734, to enquire into the state 
of the Bath Grammar school, and a decree was made 
by queen Caroline (regent during that king’s absence 
in Hanover) “ that, for thirty-five years, the master 
should instruct, gratis, ten sons of freemen, or inhabi¬ 
tants of Bath, during which time he should receive £10 














64 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


per annum; and that, after the expiration of that term, 
thy should receive ,£50 yearly.” “In 1811,” says 
Warner, “the master received £80, with the living of 
Charlecombe, near Bath, annexed to the school by the 
Rev. W. Robins, who, being master, fded the bill, under 
which the above decree was granted.” 

bellott’# In the year 1609, Thomas 

Bellott, steward of the household to queen Elizabeth, 
having purchased an estate in Wiltshire for £300, 
endowed an hospital in Beltree-lane, at the corner of 
the Bynburye lands, for the reception of twelve of the 
poorest strangers who should come to Bath for the 
benefit of the waters. Queen Elizabeth, in 1590, 
having vested the springs in the Corporation, in 1597 
an act was passed, giving the poor of the kingdom a 
right to their free use. This act, continued by others 
passed in 1603,1628, and 1642, empowered justices to 
licence them to travel to Bath; limiting their expenses, 
it authorized them to demand assistance from the 
parishes through which they passed. In 1714, these 
acts became extinct, so that Bath became infested with 
vagrants at the very time when the rich were beginning 
to patronize the city. The result was, a scheme for 
the establishment of that noble charity, the General 
hospital. Eor the following particulars we are indebted 
to Wood, vol. 2, p. 206 :— 

“ Eor the benefit of the poor, to whom the legisla¬ 
ture had given the free use of the baths, Mr. Bellott 
purchased a piece of the priory land, joining the south 
side of the King’s bath, and made a cistern for them 
















bellott’s hospital. 





































































THE HOSPITALS. 


C5 


to bathe in temperate water. This cistern received the 
overflowing* of the King’s bath ; and, taking the name 
of the New bath, retained it until the year 1615, when 
it was joined to the King’s bath by means of an 
aperture, and then it was dignified by the name of the 
Queen’s bath on this remarkable occasion:—As Anne, 
the queen of James I., was bathing, one day, in the 
King’s bath, there arose from the bottom of the cistern, 
by her Majesty’s side, a flame like a candle, which had 
no sooner ascended to the top of the water, than it 
spread itself upon the surface into a large .circle of light, 
and then became extinct. This so frightened the queen 
that she betook herself to the New bath, and from 
thence the cistern was called the Queen’s bath.” 

It was then enlarged, and a cross was erected in 
honour of the queen, with the crown over a globe, and 
a Latin inscription stating it to be dedicated to her; 
the dome supporting which cross now forms the marble 
basin in the Pump-room, to which it was appropriated 
by Baldwin, when the present Pump-room was built. 

“ In order that the poor,” continues Wood, “might 
not be destitute of instructions how to use the water, 
Elizabeth, Viscountess Scudamore, in 1652, gave J8S 
annually to a physician, that he might gratuitously 
advise the poor,” which gift was recorded on a brass 
plate affixed to the common pump, which was removed 
about 1790. This salary is still paid by the Charity 
trustees, who nominate the inmates of Bellott’s hospital. 

It is a common opinion that Bellott acted only as 
trustee to Lord Cecil, to whom the honour of this 

F 















66 


A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


foundation has been assigned; but the following quo¬ 
tation, from Sir John Harington’s poetical address to 
bishop Montague, unequivocally gives him all the praise: 

“ So far has Bellott’s star outshin’d, 

Whoever has to church been kind, 

As doth full moon, in starry night. 

Exceed the lesser torch’s light. 

The church’s ornaments, the floor, 

The benches, windows, seats, and door 
Call Bellott father ; and the bell 
Rings Bellott, though it ring a knell. 

Hospitals, baths, streets, and highways 
Sound out the noble Bellott’s praise, 

’Cause he was pious, and hath given 
Much, whose reward shall be in heaven. 

Let bounteous Bellott take the palm. 

And after age his name embalm ; 

I envy not, but more rejoice, 

And give him, too, my thankful voice.” 

This hospital, now one of the oldest buildings in our 
city, is a neat and unpretending structure, redolent of 
bye-gone days. Its narrow archway, its small quad¬ 
rangle, surrounded by antiquated chambers, all speak 
of olden times ; and well do we remember its entrance 
gate, with its shields, ornaments, and inscriptions, like 
many other interesting relics, totally obscured by coat¬ 
ings of lime; but, thanks to Mr. Charles Davis, these 
were removed in 1845. Over the door we now read 
the lesson therein conveyed;— 

NE DORMIAT IN THESAVRIS TVIS QVOD 
PAVPERI PRODESSE POTEST 
DORMIS SECVRVS PAVPERTAS EST TIBI MVTVA. 















©——-<§) 

THE HOSPITALS. 67 

I conceive that this inscription has a local refer¬ 
ence, otherwise it is very obscure. The following free 
versification of it will convey its meaning:— 

Shall that which would relieve the poor 
Lie unemployed within thy store ? 

Secure you sleep—the poverty 
Of him doth fall alike on thee. 

It is very strange that no memento of the founder 
himself should be seen. Above the inscription, the 
family coat of Lord Exeter, surrounded by the garter, 
with the motto, Cor unum, via una —“ one heart, one 
way,” is cut in stone. Above the doorway, the arms 
of Rustat surmount a marble tablet, which relates 
J that the ground on which the hospital stands, being 
a portion of the ground belonging to St. John’s 
hospital, was freely granted, without fine, to the mayor, 
j aldermen, and citizens, by Tobias Rustat, brother and 
lessee to John Rustat, clerk, master of St. John’s 
hospital, to the end that it may be restored jand con¬ 
tinued to the same use to which it had been applied 
by Thomas Bellott, gentleman, since his first obtaining 
the same of the master, co-brethren, and sisters of the 
said hospital. This tablet bears date March 25, 1672. 

This being all the record of the charity visible to the 
public, caused it to be misnamed “ Rustat’s charity.” 

The rents, amounting, in 1820, to £76 per annum, 
are received by the Charity trustees. The hospital is 
kept open for the reception of patients from Lady-day 
to Michaelmas. Each has a furnished apartment, a 
nurse is appointed to attend to them, and they receive 1 
a weekly payment of two shillings each. 

------ © 


























68 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 


0 


Tlie ancient Lepers’ bath is appropriated not only to 
their use, but also to that of any poor person, pro¬ 
curing a mayor’s order; the different sexes bathing on 
alternate days. 

The L5atl) JftoSpttal, or Infirmary. In 1714, 

the acts of parliament, by which poor strangers were 
authorized to come to Bath, having become extinct, 
a scheme for the establishment of a general hospital 
was put forth; but, from a variety of circumstances, 
was not carried into effect until 1787. Among the 
foremost of its supporters were Dr. Oliver, Beau 
Nash, and Ralph Allen, the latter supplying all the 
stone; while John Wood superintended the erection 
of the building. An act of parliament, in 1739, was 
passed for its incorporation and government; it was 
also allowed to possess freehold property to the extent 
of LI,000 a year. It opened its doors for the reception 
of patients on the 21st May, 1742 ; since which period, 
to May 1st, 1847, 32,686 patients have been admitted, 
of whom 25,560 have been either cured or greatly 
relieved. 

In 1830, still further to increase its usefulness, the 
Bath waters were introduced, by act of parliament, into 
the interior of the building. Powerful steam machinery 
was erected, not only for that purpose, but also for 
ventilation, washing, and cooking; since which period 
the proportions of cures have greatly increased, while 
deaths are of such rare occurrence, that a whole year has 
passed without one. In 1835, the inhabitants of Bath, 
previously excluded, were admitted to its benefits; 


©- 

















THE HOSPITALS. 






G9 


but, lest poor strangers should be injured, only those 
who were unable to avail themselves of the ordinary 
privilege of gratuitous bathing. 

The objects of this charity require no recommenda¬ 
tion but that of poverty, the case being one suitable 
for the use of the Bath waters. It is open to the 
United Kingdom, under the following regulations :— 

The eligibility of each case is ascertained by a cir¬ 
cumstantial report, which must contain— 

1. The name, age* and parish of the applicant. 

2. A brief history of the disease, comprising its 
origin, progress, and present symptoms. 

3. A correct representation of the state of general 
health, particularly mentioning the absence of all dis¬ 
orders which render the Bath waters inapplicable, as 
enumerated at page 54. 

When practicable, it should be drawn up by a 
medical man, and addressed, post-paid, to the Regis¬ 
trar, at the hospital, who will submit it to the Medical 
board. Accuracy of reports is important; for when, 
from defective or erroneous statements, cases are found 
to be improper, they are sent home, to the great incon¬ 
venience of patients; and, when from a distance, with 
considerable expence. If admitted, notice of vacancy 
is given, accompanied by a blank certificate, relating 
to the parish settlement, and the inability of the patient 
to use the waters without charitable assistance, to be 
signed by the minister, churchwardens, and overseers 
of the parish to which the patient belongs ; and, until 
this notice arrive, the patient is enjoined to remain at 

®-© 












© 


70 A RAMBLE ABOUT OLD BATH. 

liome. Soldiers may, instead of these, bring certificates 
from their commanding officers, acknowledging them 
to belong to their corps, and agreeing to receive them 
when discharged, in whatever state of health they may 
be. The same regulation applies to pensioners of 
Chelsea and Greenwich. 

On receipt of the notice of vacancy, the patient 
should proceed to Bath, bringing the letter of notice, 
the certificate duly executed, and the caution-money, 
which is three pounds for those which come from any 
part of England or Wales, and five pounds for those 
from Scotland or Ireland. The object of which is, to 
ensure the means of returning them to their homes, 
when discharged ; or to defray the costs of interment 
in the event of death. When not required for these 
purposes, or for supplies of clothing when greatly 
deficient, the whole is returned to the party providing 
it. All persons coming to Bath on pretence of seeking 
admission, without having their cases previously sent 
and approved, and receiving notice of vacancy, are 
treated as vagrants, according to the provisions of the 
act of parliament for regulating the hospital, which, 
admitting patients from all parts of the kingdom, is 
continually the means of relieving parishes from expence 
in the maintenance of paupers, and has an undoubted 
claim to parochial subscriptions (which are sanctioned 
by act of parliament) wherever its benefits are extended. 

In 1847, out of 571 discharged, no fewer than 458 
were cured, or greatly relieved; while 98 were either 
incurable by the waters, or improper for their use. 

© ----- 



















© 


THE HOSPITALS. 71 

It is much to be regretted that an erroneous opinion 
should prevail that this truly national hospital should 
be independent of public support; its average expenses, 
for the last ten years, were £3,552 yearly, while its 
permanent income did not exceed £2,387 per annum. 

The ^EnttclJ J^o3pttaI is situated in Beau-street, 
and was erected, at an expense of £7,000, in 1826. 

It receives its name from uniting the Casualty Hospital, 
founded, in 1788, by James Norman, escp, a distin¬ 
guished surgeon, for the reception of accidents, and 
the Bath City Infirmary and Dispensary, on the Lower 
Borougli-walls. This hospital has accommodation for 
one hundred patients. It is a handsome building, 
admirably adapted for its purpose. During the year j 
many thousand out-patients receive attendance and 
advice. 

It is supported by voluntary contributions; admis¬ 
sion being obtained by the recommendation of a sub¬ 
scriber. Accidents are admitted without any form 
whatever. 


© 




















© 





■atm®!? 



! 


ATII, pre-eminently distinguished for the variety 
and beauty of its suburban walks, and sur¬ 
rounded by gently sloping eminences, presents an end¬ 
less succession of prospects; every hill gives us a new 
feature, every ramble new views; whilst its sheltered 
valleys, with their neat cottages clustering around the 
village churches, have each its peculiar beauty; and 
although Edinburgh (the modern Athens, so called, 
not from any vanity of its citizens, but because no two 
places can more resemble each other in natural features 
than Edinburgh and Athens) may dispute its claim to 
grandeur and magnificence, boasting of its sea view, its 
towering heights and distant mountains, with its 
picturesque old town and ancient castle, Bath may 
feel proud of its verdant downs, its noble crescents, 
and its cultivated coombs—the taste of its citizens in 
bringing forth the beauties of the landscape, by the 



















THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES. 


73 


laying out of public walks and noble streets, combining 
the splendid with the healthful, and all the conveniences 
of domestic life. In truth, the localities are so distinct 
in their features, that contrast, and not comparison, is 
required; so that I, who have rambled into every nook 
and dell around both cities, must leave them, like rival 
beauties, blonde and brunette, with admiration, and 
wonder that they should be 

“ Both so unlike, yet both so beautiful.” 

We purpose, then, to leave the city, excepting a 
passing notice, as incidental circumstances may require. 
In order that nothing may escape our notice, with which 
either reading or research may make us acquainted, we 
shall start from the Abbey church. 

First, let us step into the Athenaeum, in the Orange 
grove, to see poor Osborn’s study for the bust in the 
Park. 

Leaving the Orange grove by the site of St. Peter’s 
gate, we come to the Walks, where Beau Nash reigned 
triumphantly, the monarch of the gay. This portion 
of the city (erected partly within, and partly beyond, 
the ancient walls) is full of sad remembrances. In an 
alley, behind Freemasons’ hall, stands Ralph Allen’s 
town house—an unrivalled specimen of Wood’s talent 
in architecture, now, alas ! with its magnificent portico 
and splendidly carved front, let in tenements, and hid 
from admiration by intervening buildings. 

The classic simplicity of the Royal Institution next 
claims our attention. It was established in the year 

















74 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

1824, on tlie site of the Lower Assembly rooms, con¬ 
sumed by tire, with the exception of the portico, in 
1820. It is a beautiful building of the Doric order, 
consisting of a library, fifty feet by thirty-five, and a 
study connected with it, whose shelves are filled with 
rare manuscripts and valuable books; a lecture-room, 
fifty feet by thirty-five, the ceiling enriched with paint¬ 
ings formerly at PonthiR; an entrance hall, wherein are 
the remains of two Roman temples; two rooms occupied 
for museums, and a lobby containing Roman altars. 
Below stairs, a phrenological museum and well-arranged 
laboratory, with various apartments. There is also a 
garden—the celebrated Bowling-green of the last 
century—stocked with rare plants. 

The museum contains many specimens of natural 
history and geology, but its most interesting feature is 
the splendid and unique collection of Roman antiquities 
deposited by the Corporation, in the year 1827 ; shortly 
after which they were described by the Rev. Joseph 
Hunter, P.S.A., in a valuable manuscript, deposited in 
the institution, called Aquce Calidce Britannice, “ a 
synopsis of the Roman inscriptions which have been 
discovered in Bath,” under the following heads :— 
1st, four relating to edifices; 2nd, eight votive altars ; 
3rd, eleven sepulchral monuments; and miscellaneous 
antiquities. Among the latter may be noticed the 
head of Apollo, the medallion of Pompoeia, and the 
block of Roman lead. There is also a valuable collec¬ 
tion of Roman medals aud other coins; while scattered 
about the various apartments are models from the 

® --- 


® 






THE PARADES. 


75 


antique, valuable maps, &c. The reading-room is well 
supplied with newspapers and periodicals, and a portion 
of the books are allowed to circulate. The subscription 
is £2 2s. per annum. Visitors for three months, and 
minors, £1 Is. Annual subscribers, with their families, 
pay half the public price to all lectures; and ladies, 
annual subscribers, have free admission. 

Wood commenced his improvements of the city by 
the erection of the North parade, the first stone of 
which was laid on the 10 th March, 1740. The prin¬ 
cipal, or north side, was intended to have had the 
appearance of but one house. From the neighbouring 
hills it looks like a palace. It was to have been 
adorned with three hundred columns and pilasters of 
the Corinthian order; upon the corner of every side 
there was to have been a tower, and in every front a 
centre-house and pediment. In the centre square, a 
superb ball room, in form of an Egyptian hall, ninety 
feet long, and fifty-two broad, and an assembly-room 
of the same dimensions, with a garden and bowling- 
green in front. 

Here, during the last century, (when Milsom-street 
was a field, and the houses on the Upper Borough-walls 
looked over an uninterrupted country view,) might be 
seen the pomps and vanities of Bath; the ladies, with 
their hoops and towering head-dresses, their pert 
abigails, and pretty lap-dogs, attended each by her 
powdered beau, reciting vapid rhymes, or the last 
report of scandal, hastening to the Bowling-green to 
hear the band, and walk along the margin of the river, 









76 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


or to cross to Spring-gardens, then a fashionable pro¬ 
menade, but now a timber-yard, at the bottom of the 
arch leading to Grove-street. 

Pierrepont-street, from whose centre house Lord 
Chesterfield wrote some of his celebrated letters to his 
son, is classic ground. What a change have a few years 
produced in this once quiet street! Previously to the 
opening of the railroad, grass grew plentifully in its 
centre ; but now it forms a national highway. Oppo¬ 
site Pierrepont-house, an opening (which Wood called 
St. James’s portico) led to the theatre, since converted 
into a Eoman Catholic chapel. 

Thence passing on, we reach the South-parade—the 
winter’s sunny residence of the invalid, whose sheltered 
situation and delightful views render it so charming. 
Hence may be seen St. Matthew’s church and spire, 
Widcombe, the Station, Beechen-cliff, the Cemetery, 
Prior-park, and Bathwick-hill; while its foreground 
comprises the old Ham-gardens, where formerly stood 
the Abbey grange, around whose walls the chapmen 
congregated to hold the chartered fair of Bath, and 
where the grape, for the cultivation of which this city 
was famous, was trained on standards in the foreign 
manner ; while the railroad, with its trains passing and 
repassing, adds life and animation to the sick man’s 
view. 

Passing through Duke-street, whose air of repose 
forms a striking contrast to the busy city, we reach the 
North-parade bridge, and pause thereon to admire the 
Abbey and St. Michael’s church, both beautiful objects 










CLEVELAND WALK. 


77 


i 


from this spot; beyond the weirs of old Monks’ mill 
we see the circular arches of Pulteney-bridge ; Camden- 
place, with the wooded height of Beacon-hill forming 
a termination to our prospect. 

As we walk along the road, the church of Batliwick, 
with rising grounds studded with pretty villas, arrests 
our attention so forcibly that we are surprised to find 
ourselves at the ingeniously constructed railway bridge, 
through which a lane leads to the Canal, which, having 
crossed by an iron bridge, we reach Sydney-buildings, 
and, ascending through a field to Bathwick-hill, an 
ornamental gateway conducts us to the Cleveland walk, 
where seats invite us to repose, while we admire the 
splendid view which lies beneath our gaze. 

This walk takes its name from the noble family 
whose property it is, and extends from Bathwick-hill 
to the Claverton-road. It is one of the most agreeable 
in the vicinity of the city, being sheltered from the east 
wind bv Claverton down, and from the heat of the 
meridian sun by a row of chestnut trees. Its views 
embrace the vale of Bath. IIow musical, in the sum¬ 
mer evening, are the Abbey chimes ! Look from hence 
upon that noble building, how magnificently does it 
stand forth amidst the crescent-shaped mass of build¬ 
ings extending from Beechen-cliff to Beacon-hill, as 
though the house of God were sole monarch of the 
plain, surrounded by attendant spires and clustering 
streets, while an amphitheatre of hills add Nature’s 
beauty to the scene! 

The Sham castle, to which one field or two conducts 
















78 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


ns, affords a more extensive, though scarcely more 
beautiful prospect. This building was originally erected 
by Ralph Allen, to form a pleasing prospect amidst the 
monotony of the down from his dwelling on the parade. 
In his time the down would commence v 7 here the rail¬ 
way bridge now spans the Pulteney-road, and such an 
object, amidst the trees, would form almost as beautiful 
a prospect as it now does above the intervening build¬ 
ings. As we proceed, we pass the forsaken terrace of a 
projected college, now the garden of the cottage just 
below the castle, where, in 1889, a coin of Marcus 
Aurelius was dug up. Here a splendid view causes 
us, ever and anon, to pause in our ascent: around us 
lie the downs of Bath; while, just visible enough to 
form a deep blue horizon for our prospect, are seen the 
Mendip hills and other distant ranges; beneath, the city 
and the winding vale, through which the Avon tracks its 
noiseless, and the railroad its noisy, course to Bristol, 
the situation of which we determine by one reek of 
smoke between the distant hills. 

No one can form a correct idea of the beauty of the 
environs of Bath who has not sought Sham castle and 
its down; the view comprises the whole country between 
Alfred’s monument at Stourton, and Beckford’s tower 
on Lansdown. How glorious are the sunsets here! 
how grandly magnificent do their scenic beauties then 
beam forth ! Englishcombe barrow, standing forth 
the lone memorial of bye-gone days, catching the last 
declining ray; while Kelston round-hill, with its grove 
of pines, forms a striking contrast to the golden back 













THE SHAM CASTLE. 


























































®—-—---© 

HAMPTON DOWN. 79 


ground of the western sky; and, as we descend, the 
varying lines assume the garb of night, which eastern 
breezes stealthily put on to clothe the scene in purple 
majesty! 

Looking through the castle arch, we have a singularly 
beautiful view of rich scenery in descending perspective, 
as though it were a magnificent picture framed therein. 

t 

Jftampton j©ohw. 

How amply are we repaid when, seeking the pure 
breeze on a summer afternoon, we cross, the gate and 
wander o’er the down, from whence the full magnifi¬ 
cence of Lansdown is revealed, with the beautiful 
church half way up its summit; Beckford’s tower, in 
solitary grandeur, rising behind the craggy height of 
Beacon-hill, which, gently undulating, terminates in the 
vale, to which the church of Grosvenor forms so chaste 
a foreground ! Bailbrook, with its pretty villas, then 
succeeds; and the valley, winding beneath the old 
British fortress of Solsbury, with Batheaston farther 
on, and Banagli down (or holy hill) ; each footstep 
revealing new prospects and new beauties, with a 
splendid view immediately beneath. At length, our 
path becomes impeded by little rills and mountain 
streams, which warn us not to stray from the accus¬ 
tomed pathway that crosses a portion of the ancient 
Wansdyke —an intrenchment erected by our ancestors 
as a strong boundary between two warlike nations, 
whose very names are now but dimly traced in the 
records of antiquity. 

©----© 

















80 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Looking around, desolation seems to stay our wan¬ 
derings, and, if possible, to enhance the feeling of utter 
loneliness : we find ourselves descending the rugged 
path to a quarry, deserted by all living things, save by 
the feathered songster, and the sheep, which skips 
about its craggy heights to browse upon the fragrant 
herbage. 

The views from Hampton rocks, and the opposite 
down of Monkton Farleigh, were considered by the 
celebrated painter, Benjamin West, to be unrivalled in 
the world. From the former we look down upon a 
portion of the vale of Avon; and, while we are delighted 
with the beauties of the spot itself, its rugged caves, 
its wild luxuriant trees, its creeping plants, and fragrant 
flowers, the eye is taken by surprise with the varied 
| and extensive prospect—hills, villages, and country 
seats, with frowning precipices, seem, as it were, brought 
together by a mighty hand to shew the beauties of 
contrasted nature. How calmly silent do the river and 
canal pursue their courses through the fertile valley ! 
From another point we obtain a view of the Wiltshire 
downs, the White Horse of Westbury, and the country 
below Salisbury plain, containing some of the best cul¬ 
tivated and finely wooded land in the west of England. 

Here, indeed, Misanthropy, seeking, amidst the 
barren, unproductive waste, for that arid solitude which 
forms its chief delight, may contemplate the harmony 
of all created things. The landscape, now illumined by 
the sun, and now by clouds obscured; the happy note 
of the blytlie warbler, or its sudden cry, lest, while 



















<£> - — -- @ 

HAMPTON DOWN. 81 

poised upon the wing, a careless foot may crush its 
tender young; the busy hum of the bee, whose instinct 
leads it to seek this spot, where flowers, rarely seen by 
human eye, put forth their modest blossoms; the 
caves, where youth and beauty, in their gaiety, uncon¬ 
scious of the troubles of the world, resort in company 
with those they love, and which, in winter, shelter the 
shepherd from the storm ; the quarry, from which, in 
days gone by, was dug the stone which formed the 
prison and the palace, the mansion and the poor man’s 
hut; and when, by contemplation, the mind becomes 
more sad and happier in its very sadness, then, amidst 
scenes like these, will it derive that consolation which 
results from Wisdom in her holiest form. 

The stone from this quarry was conveyed to the 
canal side by a railroad, which ran down the hill, the 
full waggons, descending, causing the empty ones to 
ascend. A few years since, I remember a cottage 
near the level, of which few traces now remain. The 
railroad is destroyed and covered with turf; while 
many rare plants will delight the botanist, who will 
acknowledge that the walk we have thus feebly attempted 
to describe, presents more varieties of indigenous plants 
than any other of a similar distance in Great Britain, 
while its prospects and the general beauty of its land¬ 
scape render it unequalled. 

Although the view is so varied in its magnificence, 
that we feel, as it were, rooted to the spot, we must 
not leave the down until we have looked over the site 
of the old British city of (Ohicr d&Ttfmr, which will 




G 























82 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


always render this down interesting both to the 
historian and the antiquary. 

The Celtic Britons retained possession of England 
until they were invaded and conquered by the Belgae, 
350 years before the Christian era. These being sub¬ 
dued and colonized by the Romans under Claudius 
Caesar, their country became an integral portion of the 
Roman empire. Erom the remotest period the ancient 
Britons carried on an extensive trade with the Phoeni¬ 
cians, for tin and other mineral productions; indeed, 
many of their mining implements are still met with 
both in Cornwall and Somerset. Diodorus Siculus 
informs us, their tribes were well governed, and skilful 
in various arts, more particularly in navigation; and 
that the whole of the southern coast of Britannia was 
a busy scene of industry, wealth, and civilization. 
Religious principles^, embracing a complete system of 
morality, honour, and virtue, were inculcated by the 
Druids, who appealed to their imaginations by various 
emblems of sacred and beautiful import. They had 
advanced so much in civilization, that Julius Caesar 
was opposed, in his invasion, by 220 well-built ships ; 
he himself, in his Commentaries, describing them as a 
nation carrying on an extensive trade. 

The mines of Somerset, possessing rich treasures, 
were sedulously guarded; every available height was 
fortified by the Belgic Britons. Many of these forti¬ 
fications may still be traced in the vicinity of Bath. 
“ These,” as Sir Richard Colt Hoare observes, “ must 
not be confounded with Roman camps, which were built 
























HAMPTON DOWN. 


83 


in more convenient localities, and of more regular form, 
the Britons depending on the strength of their position, 
the Romans on the courage of their soldiers.” 

Caer Badon occupies the bold projecting point of 
Hampton down, and is situate a mile from Bath. Its 
entrenchments environ a space of thirty acres ; sloping 
abruptly northwards, its form is irregular. On the 
side of the hill, a strong vallum, or earthwork, extends 
across and connects the two vales, affording additional 
security to its inhabitants. Its approaches were guarded 
by outworks of various sizes. Many of these track¬ 
ways may still be traced, communicating with the distant 
settlements; some of them form our present pathways, 
while others ran along the track of the modern high¬ 
way. On the north side of the down, two long bar- 
rows, or places of sepulture, extend; while two circular 
mounds are seen on its southern aspect. The nume¬ 
rous elevations of earth which intersect each other in 
every direction, preserving a regular form of arrange¬ 
ment, point out the site of the various buildings. Over 
this site we walk, and seat ourselves upon the crumbling 
fragment of some Druids’ sacred stone. Around us lie 
the ruins of their stronghold; and we feel, as we care¬ 
lessly knock off portions with our stick, that stone itself 
grows old and crumbles into dust. Examining it more 
closely, we discover that each and every particle once 
had life, until these works of man, the pride of bye- 
gone ages, seem but as the fairy creations of a fleeting 
dream in comparison with the time that has elapsed 
since the particles of the stones around were as full of 
















TILLAGE UAMBLES. 


® - 

| 84 

life as the flight of gnats which swarm about us in 
j the evening sunshine ! 

Few would imagine, when passing through the village 
churchyard, that the little heaps of turf-clad earth were 
the remains of a custom adopted to mark a grave in 
j every nation throughout all time, the system of burying 
! under mounds, or barrows, being the most ancient 
mode of sepulture. 

Sir Richard Colt Hoare opened and examined many 
barrows, and deserves the thanks of all British anti¬ 
quaries for his indefatigable researches. “ From their 
contents,” he says, “ the early progress of civilization 
may be traced. The most ancient, which may rea¬ 
sonably be referred to the Celtic period, contain the 
stone hammer and flint spear-head of the tenant of the 
grave, together with clay urns, formed by the hand 
alone, rudely ornamented with crossed lines, evidently 
produced by a stick before exposure to heat.” 

In order to protect the corpse from indignity from 
the enemy, the Belgic Britons reduced it first to ashes, 
and these they carefully collected into an urn. A rude 
square receptacle was formed, of uncemented stones, 
covered by another of a square form; over this they 
raised a pile of earth, varying in size according to the 
rank of the deceased. In these we find brass weapons, 
ivory pins, beads, rings, and pottery, formed on a wheel, 
or lathe, and elaborately ornamented. This custom of 
burying the weapons and other valuable articles with 
the deceased continued for some centuries after this 
period; many of the coffins of our early kings and 

©-----— - 





















®—--—-- 

HAMPTON DOWN. 

ecclesiastics containing both the vestments and ensigns 
of authority. 

As neither the tiller of the land above, nor the quarry- 
man below, have obliterated its features, Caer Badon 
may, as far as its outlines and general aspect is con¬ 
cerned, be still traced, and will well repay a visit. 

“ In 1835,” says Mr. Mendenhall, of the Bath Atlie- 
nseum, in his communication to the Society of Anti¬ 
quaries, which, from the great attention he has bestowed 
on British antiquities, I regard as of peculiar interest, 
“ this spot was partially broken into, to procure material 
for the new Warminster road, which runs along the valley 
below; but as none offered, it was spared further mo¬ 
lestation. ♦ A short time afterwards I collected a quantity 
of ancient pottery, which was thickly strewed about, 
of various qualities, from the coarse black, or brown, 
to the more delicate Roman, but of this latter few and 
small fragments; with them, portions of Roman bricks 
and burned bones, a boar’s tusk, and animals’ teeth in 
abundance ; a small piece of double-twisted brass wire, 
with a curvilinear notched ornament of dress ; a small 
blue bead, of transparent glass, decidedly British. I 
also found black vegetable mould, totally differing from 
the neighbouring soil; the portions of stone about in 
no case resembling the kind found in the vicinity, clearly 
indicating that they were brought from a considerable 
distance. I found, also, some rusty nails, of various 
forms and sizes.” 

“ These various works,” says the learned author of 
the History of Somerset, the Rev. Mr. Phelps, of Bick- 



© 










86 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


n oiler, “ prove, in connection with the numerous forti¬ 
fications in this county and the neighbouring one of 
Wilts, the great skill of the Belgic-British engineers.” 
They are the works, indeed, if not of a great, at least 
of a civilized people; and they also prove that sincere 
devotion to their native land has been the characteristic 
of the Britons in every age. With each succeeding 
conquest they have formed themselves into a firmer 
union with those formerly at war with them; and even 
now, in looking back into the history of troublous times, 
we may feel a pride that Belgoe, llomans, and Normans 
amalgamated with, and felt a pleasure in adopting, that 
nation as their own to which they came in arms to 
conquer. * 


(CTaberton. 

It is much to be regretted that the high walls on 
the city side of Bath wick-hill should hide, from the 
health-seeking pedestrian, the beautiful prospects which 
it would otherwise disclose. Indeed, to those who 
can, without inconvenience, walk up a tolerably steep 
hill, it forms an agreeable walk, its splendid pavement, 
continued to its very summit, being dry. Its position 
shelters it from the cold north-east wind; while the 
sun, even at the winter solstice, renders it both warm 
and pleasant. These advantages, with the exception of 
the pavement, it shares with the Claverton-road, which 
far exceeds it in the beautiful view, embracing the back 
of Beechcn-clitF, with the new Widcombe church, and 

















87 


CLAVERTON. 

the prettily wooded and undulating valley of Small- 
combe, so called to distinguish it from its neighbour, 
Widecombe, or Widcombe. A road, diverging to the 
left, conducts us to the romantic village of Claverton. 
The first portion runs along the down, where fir plan¬ 
tations and pleasant hedgerows relieve what would, 
after the beautiful prospects we have just left, appear 
monotonous; but this, as we advance, becomes dis¬ 
pelled ; and when we arrive at the beautiful Italian 
lodge of Claverton-liouse, our walk, as we skirt the 
park wall, is enlivened by another view, more sylvan 
in its character, more romantic in its features, and yet 
possessing all the harmonious colouring for which the 
views around the city are so celebrated. In this portion 
of the valley of the Avon, the river pursues its placid 
willow-shaded course; while the Canal runs along its 
artificial bed, and adds the force of contrast to the 
beauty of the vale. Above them, modestly peeping 
forth from the foliage of the hill side, appears the 
picturesque village of Conkwell, with its heath-clad 
down, from which abrupt and rocky crags stand boldly 
forth, harmonizing with the verdure of the undulating 
pastures and the rich hue of the corn fields, while trees 
of stately growth complete the picture. 

Here, in early spring, Flora puts forth all her gems— 
a variety of flowers but rarely met with in less favoured 
spots, luxuriating in the sheltered copse woods :— 
anemones, orchides, hyacinths, with the more humble, 
but not less fragrant, violet and primrose ; while the 
veronica clings to the wall itself, borrowing from the 

























88 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


sky its heavenly blue to clothe it with dame Nature’s 
tapestry. 

Here, indeed, may all tastes, however varied, be gra¬ 
tified. The moralist and man of letters will, amidst its 
noble scenery, pause to contemplate the characters and 
actions of those whose names are inseparably interwoven 
with its records and traditions :—bishop Warburton, 
Kalph Allen, Pope, Shenstone, and Graves, who, for 
sixty years, held this living without one month’s absence 
from his ministerial duties—the author of many works, 
his fame rests on the “ Spiritual Quixote,” replete with 
elegance and true wit, and still commanding admiration; 
and if there be one spot in the kingdom more likely 
than another to subdue worldly feelings, and call forth 
the kindlier and more elevated attributes of the human 
heart, it is this. Happy the man who can thus content 
himself in his humble village cure l and such, in every 
sense of the word, was Graves. 

Here the botanist may pursue his study with advan¬ 
tage, the stately growth of the bay and laurel indicate 
the salubrity of the air; while the historian and anti¬ 
quary will readily recal the part it played in the civil 
wars. All will be pleased with its situation and its 
antique Elizabethan farms, their pretty gardens pre¬ 
senting, with the surrounding scenery, charms which 
neither pen nor pencil can convey. 

The name of Claverton (spelled Clafterton in Domes¬ 
day Book) lias given rise to many rather fanciful ideas 
with respect to its derivation. Wood says, that it is 
“ compounded of the Eoman clavis —a key, and the 












CLAVERTON. 


89 


Saxon tun —a town;” Collinson, that it is cc derived, 
no doubt, from some Saxon owner.” The Saxon word, 
claefter, or claver, signifying cleft-grass, or clover, a 
reference to William the Conqueror’s survey gives us a 
very good reason for its name: it then contained no 
less than twelve furlongs of pasture, and was called 
u The Tillage of the Clover Down.” 

At the conquest, this manor was worth J67, and 
William bestowed it on his interpreter, Hugoline. 
Reverting to the crown, it was given to Hugo cum 
Barba, who sold it to John of Tours, and he gave it to 
the Abbey of Bath, and shortly after annexed it to the 
bishopric. In 1257, bishop Button obtained a charter 
of free warren from king Henry III., and a grant that 
it, with Hampton, should be a liberty exempt from the 
jurisdiction of the hundred of Bathformn. In 1548, it 
was alienated from the see by bishop Barlowe, who 
exchanged it with king Edward VI. for other lands. 
The king granted it to Matthew Coltliurst, whose son 
sold it, in 1588, to Edward Hungerford, from whose 
family it passed into the possession of that of Estcourt. 
In 1609, Sir Thomas Estcourt sold it to the Bassets. 
In 1701, Robert Holder became the purchaser, whose 
son disposed of it, in 1714, to William Skrine. In 
1758, it was purchased by Ralph Allen, who bequeathed 
it at his death, in 1764, to his niece, the wife of bishop 
Warburton, who afterwards married the Rev. Martin 
Stafford Smith. At her death, it came into the pos¬ 
session of the late John Vivian, esq., by purchase, 
whose son is the present owner. 














© 


© 


90 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

In the centre of the village, a gateway, almost 
unobserved from the thickness of the foliage, conducts 
us through the narrow pathway to the church—a neat 
and unpretending Gothic structure, of the fifteenth 
century, consisting of a nave, chancel, and north aisle. 
It has a porch, a tower thirty feet high, in which are 
three bells, and two windows of stained glass, with 
various emblems, portraits, and coats of arms, and 
some good open carved work around the manor pew. 

Its monuments are interesting. On the north wall 
of the chancel is an alabaster one of the early period of 
the seventeenth century, representing a male and female, 
with an infant, swathed, at the feet of the lady. He 
is in armour, without his helmet; she in long sleeves, 
tied close at the elbow, with the Elizabethan ruff and 
farthingale. Tempted by the extreme beauty and sub¬ 
limity of the epitaph, I translate it from the Latin :— 

“ In the hope of a blessed resurrection, here the body (for¬ 
merly the abode of a most holy mind) of a young wife shall 
return to dust, Mary, the wife of Moses Tryon, of Harringworth, 
in the county of Northampton, the eldest daughter of William 
Basset, esq. While she lived, a dear wife ; having brought 
forth one infant, she returned her soul to her Creator calmly, 
and with great faith in Christ. This lasting monument of his 
grief, and in memory of his love for her precious dust, her hus¬ 
band has erected. 

“ The mother went before, May 13 j 
The infant followed, May 23 S 
“ Ye shall hasten to heaven together .” 

The male figure represents her father, whose epitaph 
occupies another tablet. The following, in Latin, is 
below:— 




© 













CLAVERTON. 


91 


“ Hear, traveller, thou shalt die — 

I shall rise—Christ judgeth both.” 

Near tliis is the monument of Graves, who died in 
1804, at the advanced age of ninety years, with memo¬ 
rials of his family. 

The south wall is embellished with the monument of 
John Clutterbuck, of Widcombe, who died in 1766. 
It represents a beautiful female figure reclining grace¬ 
fully in a mourning attitude on an urn. 

The family of Skrine, and others, have monuments 
here of a pure and classic character. 

Humphrey Chambers, one of the divines appointed 
by Parliament to sit at Westminster, was rector during 
the civil wars, and died here in 1646. The parish 
register contains the following memorandum, written 
bv him:— 

“ Mem.—That I, Humphrey Chambers, parson of 
Claverton, did grant a licence to eat flesh this day to 
William Basset , esq., of Claverton, by reason of his 
notorious sickness; which sickness of his still continu¬ 
ing, I do now continue his said licence, according to 
the statute; and have, according to the law, here regis¬ 
tered the same. In witness whereof I have hereunto 
set my hand, Humphrey Chambers.” 

The churchyard is the great attraction. Here the 
mind feels subdued, its more earthly feelings are raised 
to the serious and sublime. Beneath the leafy shadows 
of its forest trees, and amidst its fragrant flowers and 
pretty shrubs, so congenial to the scene, higher hopes 
and more enduring aspirations fill the soul. 












92 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Here would we rest, beneath the verdant spray 
Of noble trees, while roses bud and bloom, 

Their leaflets shedding, fragrant in decay, 

To add new beauty to the grass-grown tomb. 

Like these, may fragrance, such as virtues give 

From man’s best works, be shed around our grave, 

That friends who love us while on earth we live, 

May seek our tomb to shed the tears we crave ! 

Here Pope, the true poet of the human heart, sought 
solitude for contemplation. Pielding, too, the deline¬ 
ator of human mind and human feeling, would here 
refine the grosser portions of those splendid sketches 
of character which still delight the old man and the 
youth. Here Shenstone sought his inspiration ; while 
Graves, pursuing the even tenor of his way, lived to 
bury generations of his parishioners, teaching all the 
way to heaven. 

For he, God’s messenger, who taught the vale, 

No schoolman’s subtilties e’er used, nor sought 
By learning’s phantasies to dazzle those 
Who hear the preacher and forget the Word. 

Richard Graves was born in 1715, of an ancient 
family at Mickleton, Gloucestershire. He originally 
intended to practise medicine, but turned his attention 
to the church. At the university of Oxford he was the 
intimate friend of Sir William Blackstone and Shen- 
stone; in 1748, he was presented to the living of 
Claverton. He possessed an extraordinary vivacity of 
constitution, combined with a mind cultivated with 
great care, and a natural politeness and a simplicity of 















CLAVERTON. 


93 


manners which concealed an ardent spirit in search of 
truth. He endured affliction with a mind conscious of 
its own uprightness, and diverted the inroads of sorrow 
by literary pursuits. His prevailing eccentricity was a 
love of order, his friendships were those of affection 
ennobled by cheerfulness and piety, his classical learn¬ 
ing was extensive, his poetry chaste, and all his writings 
breathe the true spirit of Christianity. 

Here repose the remains of Ralph Allen. His 
monument is square, covered by beautiful creeping 
plants, and shaded by trees. It is raised by three 
steps, and terminates in a pyramidal roof, having, on 
either side, three round arches, and is surrounded with 
an iron rail. Within is seen his family tomb, with its 
simple and touching epitaphs. 

The present elegant manor house has had two pre¬ 
decessors. The first stood in a field south of the church; 
no vestiges of it can now be discovered. It was erected 
by bishop Ralf de Salopia, about the year 1340. This 
prelate was one of the most munificent of the early 
bishops. He built the vicar’s close and choristers’ 
houses at Wells, with the church of Winscombe, and 
disforested Mendip. To this “court house” succeeded 
a noble mansion, erected by Sir Edward Hungerford, 
of ITeytesbury, who purchased the estate in 1588. Of 
it no portion now remains except the flights of steps 
upon its terrace walk, where garden shrubs and un¬ 
heeded flowers grow in wild luxuriance. “ Here, Sir 
William Basset,” says Aubrey, in his Natural History 
of Wiltshire, “ hath made the best vineyard I have 














94 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


heard of in England.” The manor house now occupies 
a different site. 

In 1643, while Sir William Basset was entertaining 
Sir Edward Hunger ford, of Earley castle, and other 
knights and gentlemen of the king’s party, a cannon 
ball, directed from the opposite down, passed through 
the wall while they were at dinner; and they, being 
more frightened than hurt, called to “ boot and saddle,” 
and a skirmish took place in a field near the ferry, in 
which neither party was victorious, three parliament 
soldiers and one royalist being left dead upon the field. 

In 1771, its poor rates amounted to £43 5s. 3d.; 
in 1780, to <£11 19s. 6c/.; in 1839, to <£40; and at 
present on an average to £50 yearly. Its population, 
at the census of 1841, was 176. It contains an area 
of 1,243 statute acres, and its net rental is £1,950. 

Claverton down was the scene of many duels during 
the last century, most of which were occasioned by 
disputes at the gaming tables and other places of public 
resort. One, from its fatal result, must be here recorded. 
In the year 1778, many foreign nobles made Bath their 
residence; among them, the Yiscount du Barre, with 
his wife and her sister, two ladies of great beauty and 
accomplishments, accompanied by Count llice, an Irish 
gentleman, who had borne arms in the service of France. 
A house was taken in the Boyal-crescent, and they lived 
together on the most amicable terms. They kept open 
house, where play was allowed to a ruinous extent. 
Quarrelling at cards, words ran high, and an immediate 
challenge was given and accepted. At one o’clock in 

















BATIIAMPTON. 


95 


tlie morning, a coach was procured from the Three Tuns, 
in Stall-street, and Claverton down was reached, in 
moody silence, at the first dawn of day. They took 
their stations : Count Rice fired without effect, when Du 
Barre wounded him in the groin, and he fell. Raising 
himself on his knees, he fired his second pistol, and 
Du Barre was mortally wounded in the heart. All 
parties decamped; and the body was left exposed the 
whole day on the down, and was buried in Bathampton 
churchyard. Count Rice recovered; was tried at Taun¬ 
ton for murder, and acquitted. He died in Spain in 
1809. 

A stone was put up to mark the fatal spot. At that 
part of the down where the yeomanry are reviewed 
there is a rising ground against a wall, and near a gate; 
it was on the other side of the wall, and a few yards 
from the gate, the duel took place. The hilt of ivory 
of the sword of Count Rice is attached to the city seal 
in the Town Clerk’s office. 


l&KDampton. 

We can diversify our return from Claverton by many 
pleasing walks, and may ramble again and again to the 
village without either going or returning twice by the 
same route. The last time we went thither, the moon 
being at the full, we preferred the longer, but more 
agreeable, walk home by the banks of the canal. The 
trees had not lost their summer hue, though the merry 















96 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


song of the reapers was heard beneath them, and the 
carts hastening to the homesteads with the rich produce 
of the corn-fields, told plainly that autumn was gather¬ 
ing in its stores for the approaching winter. 

The steady pace of the well-trained horses, drawing 
homewards the boat load of holiday folks from the 
prettily-located Claverton hotel, caused us to pause 
and listen to the exhilarating music which mingled so 
pleasantly with the laugh of the gay and light-hearted 
passengers; and as it died away upon the western 
breeze, seemed as though it were a portion of the 
beauty of the scene itself. Insensibly we fell into a 
moralizing mood. Life, thought we, resembles a sum¬ 
mer’s evening, in which the moon, like the effulgence 
of lieaven-born thought, illumines the pure ether of the 
mind with light eternal; while fleecy clouds, though 
dark they be, as mortal cares, reflect the golden ray, 
proving that, however black our troubles are, there is 
still the bright ray of hope to cheer us in our onward 
path; when—like Cobumbus, observing the golden sun¬ 
set of the broad Atlantic from the shores of Europe— 
we look upon the past and present with the conscious¬ 
ness that a steady perseverance in the path of faith 
and well-doing, will eventually conduct us to the 
bright and glorious new world which lies hid in the 
ocean of futurity. 

Thus do we find each walk, each pleasant dell, each 
little shrub, and each retiring flower, bring with them 
some lessons, from which, even from the most humble, 
we learn both truth and wisdom ; and, as we muse, 









© 


BATHAMPTON. 97 

Bathampton comes in view, pleasantly situated on a 
rising ground above tlie valley stretching from Bath- 
wick to Bathford along the vale of Avon; a village 
which retains much of its ancient appearance, being 
but little injured in its picturesque effect by either \ 
railroad or canal. 

i 

Leaving the canal we enter the churchyard, where 
we see many memorials of the virtuous and the good, 
with some curious epitaphs. Beneath an almost obli¬ 
terated grave-stone the victim of a false and unchristian 

° _ i 

code of moral obligation rests—a code- which, for a 
fancied slight, or a stray unheeded word that in cooler 
moments would be regarded as the mere familiarity of 
friendship, compels man so to degrade himself as to 
bring not only the stain of murder on himself, but to 
involve others in the crime, inflicting disgrace and 
ruin on those to whom he is endeared by the holiest 
ties of duty and affection. The grave of the duellist 
is simple; no comment cut in stone is required “ to 
point the moral.” Ere long, corroding time will blot 
out the epitaph, and tradition alone preserve the 
record. 

“ Here rest the remains of 
John Baptiste, Viscount du Barre, 

Obit. 18th November, 1778.” 

Epitaphs, regarded simply as the records of grief 
under affliction for the loss of a beloved object of 
affection, are at all times entitled to the respectfnl 
sympathy even of the casual observer; nay, they may 
be made the means of conveying lessons of the highest 


ir 





















98 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


import. Unfortunately, those of the rich are too flat¬ 
tering, and produce disgust rather than respect; while 
those of the more humble classes, from the ignorance 
of the stone-cutter, commonly excite our laughter. In 
both, the object is a good one, but, unfortunately, both 
overstep the point; and this species of composition, 

; which should have, as a fundamental principle, the 
improvement of the reader, not unfrequently fails in 
either exciting his respect or sympathy, however much 
his mind may be impressed with the solemnity of the 
| scene itself. 

The first thing that struck us was a man asleep in the 
churchyard! Shelly’s fine description recurred to us, 

“ How beautiful is Death— 

Death, and his brother Sleep !” 


and we almost envied the man that could calmly sleep 
in the village churchyard. 

The following beautiful lines of Mrs. Hemans are 
more suited for an album than a monument. Poetical 
as they arc, their rhythm is scarcely solemn enough for 
a tomb:— 

“ Bring flowers, pale flowers, o’er the grave to shed 
A crown for the brow of the early dead; 

Though they smile in vain for what once was ours, 

They are Love’s last gift—bring flowers, pale flowers.” 


The tomb on which they are graven is beautifully shaded 
by a luxuriantly spreading weeping willow. 

And then we have the following extraordinary piece 
of poetry decorating another grave. Most certainly the 




























































BATHAMPTON. 


99 


worthy apotliecary must have sent in “ a beggarly 
account,” or the survivors never would have recorded 
the following medical information on their friend’s 
tomb :— 

“ Pain was the portion; Physic the food; 

Groans the devotion ; Drugs did no good; 

Christ, my Physitian, knew which was best 
To ease my pain, and set my soul at rest.” 

A favourite Hampton epitaph (if we may judge from 
its repetition) is the following one, obscure both in 
grammar and sense:— 

“ Beloved, respected, 

And regard for thee, 

This on thy tomb 
Is inscribed by me.” 

We thought we could improve this; and the following 
is our version :— 

My love, respect, and fond regard for thee, 

Claim one short line of deep regret from me; 

Hope’s sweetest flowers, the garland of my life, 

In tears I strew to deck thy grave, my wife.” 

The church was built in the reign of Edward I., on 
the site of an ancient building erected anterior to the 
Norman conquest. It is a neat Gothic structure. Its 
tower, which contains four bells, is a fine specimen of 
the Perpendicular period, having been erected in the 
fifteenth century; it is embattled, and covered with 
ivy. Its western doorway is very beautiful, and the 
window above elegant. 

Entering the chinch by the south door, our attention 


■4 * 
















100 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


is arrested by two effigies, one representing a Knigbt 
Templar, in cliain armour, tlie other a lady of the same 
period, formerly occupying altar tombs in the chancel, 
but removed and thrown into the churchyard when the 
chancel was repaired, about ninety years ago. A better 
taste has caused them to occupy their present position ; 
but, unhappily, their condition does not enable us to 
determine whom they represent. 

Under the walled-up east window, a figure is seen, 
representing an ecclesiastic of the twelfth century. The 
left hand holds a book, while the right, supporting 
a crosier, is placed upon the breast. It is much muti¬ 
lated, the chancel having been built after the other 
portion of the church, as the arch connecting it with 
the nave plainly proves : we are inclined to believe 
that this figure, formerly recumbent, was removed 
from the interior of the building. 

The south aisle is an addition to the ancient building, 
and is the property of the lord of the manor, by whom 
it was rebuilt in 1751. The chancel is repaired by the 
Fisher family, who have inhabited the old rectory house 
for centuries. Its walls contain memorials enough to 
form for them a long pedigree. 

Near the church is a barn, built at the same period 
as the church tower. Its roof will repay inspection, 
from the strength and simplicity with which its rafters 
are connected together. 

Among the old-fashioned houses, the rectory bears 
evident marks of modernized antiquity, the garden con¬ 
taining many fruit trees long since trained as espaliers. 

V 

i>, < 


*' v * 
















BATHAMPTON. 


101 


Here, also, is an archway, surmounted by a bent trefoil 
cross of stone, of the fourteenth century, and formerly 
the hip-knob of a barn destroyed a few years since. 
The original dwelling w r as erected in 1317, for the 
residence of the parish priest. It has undergone many 
rebuildings and restorations. A sun-dial, on the east 
chimney, was put up by William Fisher, in 1697. 

Many hewn stone steps remain in the main street, 
whose worn condition proves them to be very ancient. 
These were erected for the use of the yeomen’s wives, 
when wheel carriages were rare, to enable them to 
mount the pillion behind their husbands, and thus pay 
their visits to the city. Here, also, are many venerable 
and stately elms—a tree which proves the great fertility 
of the soil; and, while sheep-bells ring their pleasant 
melody from the downs above, and larks are carolling 
around our path, the eye delights to wander over the 
rich vale beneath, where lowing cattle browse upon the 
flowery pastures. 

Pursuing our route to the city by the high road, on 
the brow of the hill, near the turnpike, a very fine 
specimen of the sycamore is seen ; and from this spot 
we obtain a splendid view of the valley winding between 
Lansdown and Solsbury into Gloucestershire : while, as 
we pursue our walk, the eastern suburbs of the city, 
with Camden-place and Beacon-hill, distract our atten¬ 
tion from more rural beauties. Below us are the river, 
railroad, and canal, the towing-path ot which affords an 
agreeable variety of walk. Prom it the trains are seen, 
contrasting with the steady barges; while above we 









102 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


have the down and Hampton villas, and on the opposite 
bank of the Avon, Grosvenor-place, reached by the 
pretty suspension bridge. 

The manor of Bathampton belonged to the Abbey 
of Bath, from time immemorial. In the year 1548, 
bishop Barlowe included it with Claverton in the bar¬ 
gain of exchange for other lands, formerly the property 
of the prior of Bath. In 1553, king Edward granted 
it to William Crowch, from whom it came into the 
possession of the family of Popham, then Hungerford, 
and afterwards Basset. In 1 701, it was purchased by 
Bichard Holder, through whom it came into the hands 
of Kalph Allen, in whose family it still continues. 

In the time of William the Conqueror, this manor, 
then called Hantone, was worth one hundred and ten 
shillings. In 1292, it was valued at ten marks and 
a half; its name was then “Bathentuna.” In 1790, 
its population was 150; in 1840, it had increased to 
350. In 1770, its poor rates were £36; in 1780, 
£74. Its average annual expenditure, previous to the 
formation of the Union, was £158 ; while at present it 
is £100 per annum, on a net rental of £4,768 on an 
area of 932 statute acres. The living is consolidated 
with Bathford, and is in the patronage of the dean and 
chapter of Bristol. 


Uat|)iutfh. 

Bathwick, called JViche , in Domesday Book, a word 
signifying “a retreat,” to which Bath is added, to 















BATH WICK. 


103 


distinguish it from other places of the same name, 
was given by king William the Conqueror to Geoffrey, 
bishop of Coutance, in Normandy, as a reward for liis 
military services, together with a number of other lord- 
sliips, amounting, in all, to 280, situate in various 
parts of the country. 

According to Dugdale, this bishop—more skilful in 
arms than divinity—-was of noble Norman extraction, 
and held a distiim-uished command at the battle of 
Hastings. Hying in 1093, many of his estates reverted 
to the crown; among others Bathwick,- which shortly 
afterwards was bestowed on the nunnery of Wlierwell, 
in Hampshire, from which circumstance we find that, 
in 1293, it was called Wick-Abbas. At the dissolution 
of religious houses it again became the property of the 
crown, and queen Mary granted it to Sir Edmond 
Neville, from whom it came to Capel, earl of Essex, 
whose descendant sold it, in 1726, to Pulteney, after¬ 
wards earl of Bath. Lord William Powlett is the 
present lord and patron of the living, which has been 
consolidated with that of Woolley since the conquest. 

In 1781, its population was, according to Collinson, 
150 souls. It has so much increased, that the census 
of 1841 gives us 4,973. It were difficult to imagine a 
place in the whole kingdom that has undergone so 
wonderful an improvement, in so short a space of time, 
as this once quiet and retired village. Although many 
have increased in population to an equal extent, yet 
here inhabitants have been attracted by the erection of 
stately streets and magnificent houses, occupying a space 





















VILLAGE 11AMBLES. 


j 104 

which, a few years ago, was a meadow. Indeed, poverty 
may, in this parish, be said to be entirely out of sight, 
so completely have elegant buildings occupied all the 
available land; and in regard to health and salubrity of 
climate, the great width of the streets, built at right 
angles with each other, and the complete system of 
drainage adopted, render it entirely free from epidemic 
diseases, and greatly conduce to the health and longe¬ 
vity of the inhabitants. 

“Sixty years since,” the village consisted of an 
irregular street of forty-live houses, near its ancient 
village church, along which a stream of water, arising 
in Claverton down, was conveyed in an open stone 
channel. These houses were rented by the citizens of 
Bath, as a “ retreat” from the cares of business. 
Thither they retired, to enjoy the pleasant chat of 
friends, with the cool evening breezes, and the delightful 
scenery presented to their view; and happy children 
sported in the meadows which lay between the village 
and the city; while crowds of visitors crossed the ferry 
at the bottom of Boatstall-lane, to enjoy a ramble in 
the rich meadows, which, from their great fertility, were 
rented at T4 an acre. At that period, in addition to 
the mill, it had a broad cloth factory near the river. 

Who, in passing down Great Pulteney-street, would 
imagine that this was a description of Bathwick in 
1780 ? In vain do we look for the old-fashioned 
irregular village, of which but one house (the Crown 
inn) remains. Its ancient church has gone the way of 
all the old Bath churches, for, having fallen to decay, 

0--- 

















it lias been razed, aud the materials used in the con- 
struction of the Cemetery chapel, wherein is preserved 
the round early English font and ancient pulpit. 

This old church (which was dedicated to St. Mary) 
has been succeeded by a very handsome one, of the 
Elorid, or later Gothic style, erected in 1814 (which, 
although called St. Mary’s, was dedicated to St. Paul), 
after a design of Mr. Pinch, having a tower, with four 
richly ornamented pinnacles. The whole building and 
its arrangements reflect great credit on the architect; 
and, in addition to some elegant stained glass windows, 
it has a very fine altar-piece, painted by the celebrated 
Benj. Barker, and presented by him to the parish. It is 
situated near Vane-street, at the bottom of Baby-place. 

Collinson, in his history, has preserved many of the 
monumental inscriptions which, in his time, ornamented 
the walls of the old church. Here was interred Mac- 
kinnon, of Skye, who was with the Pretender at Cul- 
loden, the very man who carried him off the field. 
After his escape, by lying about in woods and bogs, he 
lost the use of his limbs; and, some years afterwards, 
coming to Bath for the use of the waters, he died there. 

How beautiful is the following epitaph on a child of 
four years old ! Expressive of resignation, it proves 
that, the more simple our language, the more certain 
is it of making an impression—that the heart, even in 
its saddest moments, can still feel a consolation in a 
reflection on the goodness of Him who gives and who 
removes that which, in the vanity of our hearts, we 
regard as the brightest of earthly blessings :— 

I 

©---© 


























106 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

“ Speedily was she taken away, 

Lest sin should alter her understanding, 

Or deceit beguile her sweet soul !” 

And here, resting on a neighbouring tomb, on one of 
those fine spring mornings which herald the approach 
of summer, we witnessed the funeral of a wise and 
good man, Dr. Edward Barlow, who, cut off in April, 
1844, in the meridian of his usefulness, closed a life 
that was a continued series of that benevolence which 
forms so bright an ornament of the profession he adorned 
by his skill and ennobled by his disinterestedness ; 
whose advice was, at all times, freely at the command 
of the sick and suffering poor ; to whom, during a long 
career, the hospitals of this city were a pride and plea¬ 
sure, no consideration of a merely mercenary nature 
ever inducing him to forget their claims upon him ; and 
although no public memorial of his services has been 
erected, may his good deeds long continue to be revered 
in the hearts of those who profited by his experience 
and advice, and those, also, who were the recipients of 
his private bounty—that heaven-born charity, which, 
like its sister mercy, is doubly blest! 

This parish is peculiar in having three streets in 
which there neither are, nor in all probability ever will 
be, any houses. One of them, William-street, opens 
upon a beautiful prospect towards Widcombe, embrac¬ 
ing Prior park, with its rising upland scenery; while 
the other two, Sutton and Sunderland, were intended 
to lead to Erances-square, which the plan originally 
contemplated. This, however, not having been car- 

®---® 


















BATHWICK. 


107 


ried out, the vacant ground lias been enclosed, and 
is traversed by a broad gravel walk. The enclosure, 
now called Bathwick park, is remarkable for the exten¬ 
sive view of Camden-place, Beacon-hill, and the upper 
part of the city, perhaps one of the most picturesquely 
beautiful of any, from its diversity and the peculiar 
manner in which the scattered trees harmonize with 
the freestone buildings. This improvement was com¬ 
pleted in 1823. In 1817, the late queen Charlotte 
resided in the house, No. 93, Sydney-place ; while his 
majesty, king William IV., then Duke of Clarence, 
occupied the one at the corner of Darlington-street. 
During her Majesty’s visit the princess Charlotte died, 
an event which threw a gloom over the kingdom ; her 
Majesty, therefore, returned home; but, coming again 
to Bath, derived much benefit from the use of the 
waters, the first glass of which was handed to her by 
Mr. Kitson, then mayor. Her Majesty held daily 
levees in the Pump-room, endearing herself by her 
affability and condescension, and contributing munifi¬ 
cently to the local charities. One of her Majesty’s 
visits was to the studio of the celebrated flower painter, 
Hewlett, whose success in that department of art was 
attributed to his wanderings about the sheltered nooks 
and valleys around the city and studying from nature, 
the Hampton cliffs being his favourite resort. 

It was originally intended that Sydney-place should 
environ the gardens. The plan, however, only extended 
to the erection of the two splendid piles of building 
bearing that name. Had it been fully carried out, 









VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


®- 

108 

Bathwick would have been the most splendid village in 
the world; and when we look around and see what 
private enterprize has accomplished, we are struck with 
the splendour and regularity of the design, the beauty 
of the surrounding scenery, and that general air of 
subdued grandeur, which characterizes Bath as the 

Queen of the West. 

A large portion of the industrious population of this 
parish inhabit a primitive and sequestered spot deno¬ 
minated the Villa fields, which be between the railroad 
and river. Its cottages are detached, built each in its 
own plot of ground, apparently just as the whim of 
the settler suggested ; for we have heard that this 
curious suburb resembles, in a great degree, a colonial 
settlement. In its centre is situated Bathwick villa, 
which was inhabited, during a portion of the last 
century, by the Bev. Dr. John Trusler, a man noted 
for his eccentricity of character, w r ho dedicated one of 
his works to the rising generation, by some of whom, 
however, he was so disrespectfuby treated, that it not 
unfrequently happened that, on his return from the city, 
he would find his full-bottomed wig bristling with 
butcher’s skewers, placed therein, without his know¬ 
ledge, during his progress through the market. 

Bathwick villa was a favourite place of public resort, 
as the following advertisement, copied from the Bath 
Journal, of 1788, proves :— 

“ Villa Gardens. 


“ The nobility and gentry are respectfully informed that the 














© 


BATHWICK. 109 ] 

ingenious Signor John Invetto intends to display the most superb 
and brilliant fireworks, this present Monday, May 19th, 1788. 
The gardens will be brilliantly illuminated; the music will begin 
at six; and the firew r orks at half-past eight. 

“ N.B.—A good coach road; and, for the convenience of the 
upper town, a ferry is kept opposite Walcot-parade.” 

Iii 1808, the late duke of Gloucester reviewed the 
Bath regiment of Volunteers in the Villa fields. The 
house itself is now let in tenements. 

Bathwick and Walcot are connected by a handsome 
cast-iron compression bridge, erected in 1827, after a 
design of Mr. Goodridge. In digging for the founda¬ 
tions, twenty-one Roman coins, of the lower empire, 
were discovered; there having been two forts here for 
the protection of the ferry. 

In this parish, by the water side, was situated old 
Spring gardens, one of the most celebrated public 
places of resort in the neighbourhood of the city. 

When the land in this parish became so valuable that 
it was necessary to build over a portion of Spring gar¬ 
dens, Johnstone-street was erected, and its gaieties, in 
some degree, were transferred to Sydney gardens, which 
were originally laid out by Mr. Harcourt, in 1795, 
Here, during the summer season, alternately with 
the Victoria park, are held the horticultural shows, 
for which this city is so famous. These exhibitions 
draw together the rank and fashion of the neighbour¬ 
hood, and recal to mind the description of Bath in its 
palmy days. 

Three years since, a gentleman—attracted, no doubt, 















110 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


by the Greek motto on the Pump-room, taken from 
the first ode of Pindar, which declares water to be the 
best of elements—established in the Pulteney hotel a 
set of baths on the hydropathic system; but to no 
purpose, for he forgot that in Bath, there were thermal 
springs of known and long-tried efficacy in the very 
class of diseases professed to be cured. The establish¬ 
ment fluttered for a short time, and then departed; 
and this beautifully-situated hotel returned to pristine 
habits, well-aired sheets succeeded damp ones, and 
“ warm with” supplied the place of “ cold without,” 
in this favourite abiding place of the nobility and 
gentry. 

The railroad and canal pass through Sydney gardens, 
and so far from detracting from, are made to increase 
the beauty of the promenades, while its various walks, 
laid out with much taste and a true knowledge of the 
picturesque, render them most attractive. The galas, 
which used to annoy the neighbourhood, have been 
discontinued by Mr. Watson, the present lessee. 

In no part of the environs of the old city did the 
improvements of the last century make such rapid 
progress as in Bath wick. In 1770, William Pulteney 
built a bridge to connect it with the city; the houses 
on which, when erected, were uniform in their design. 
They have since been converted into shops of various 
kinds. 

Laura-place was commenced in 1788, the plans for 
which were drawn by Baldwin, the city architect. After 
the passing of the Reform bill, a column was projected 
















BATH WICK. 


Ill 


in Laura-place. It was, however, not proceeded with ; 
and the beautiful vista of Great Pulteney-street remains 
unobstructed by any extraneous ornament. 

In Henrietta-street is situated Laura chapel, a neat 
and commodious building, opened for public worship 
in 1796. 

Argyle chapel, near Laura-place, of which the Lev. 
William Jay has been minister for fifty-six years, was 
built for the Independents in 1789, its first stone being 
laid in 1788, by the Lev. Thomas Tuppen, a popular 
preacher, distinguished for his biblical learning; during 
whose ministry the congregation occupied the present 
Lric'nds’ meeting-house, on the Lower Borough-walls. 
Mr. Jay preached at its opening, the 4th of October, 
1789 ; and on the 30th January, 1791, was ordained 
its minister. Two pillars have been erected in the 
chapel: one to commemorate its building, the other 
the fifty years’ ministry of its distinguished and 
eloquent pastor. It has been twice enlarged. Its first 
enlargement took place in 1814 ; the second and more 
extensive one in 1821, when its architectural facade was 
erected under the superintendence of Mr. Goodridge, 
the architect. The schools, in which 300 children are 
daily instructed, were opened in 1845. 

The net rental of this parish is £31,016, on an area 
of 570 acres. In 1780, its poor rates were £52, and 
they now average £270, its population exceeding 5,000. 
It is included in the borough by the Leform act. 















© 


112 TILLAGE RAMBLES. 

St. fames. 

During the last century, Stall-street contained many 
interesting houses, some of which are engraved round 
the borders of the large map of the city in the reading- 
i room of the Royal Institution. 

The tower of St. James’s church was partially rebuilt 
in 1716. The body of the church in 1768. It was, 
however, hidden from view by a saddler’s shop, the 
back wall of which was the church tower, while a stable 
was built in the angle between it and the south aisle. 
The lease of this property terminated in 1844, and the 
Corporation cleared the site, presenting it to the parish. 

An extensive alteration has been effected, under the 
superintendence of Messrs. Manners and Gill. The 
old church tower has been removed, and another built, 
in the Roman style, quadrangular, consisting of a tower 
150 feet high, and comprising two stages, surmounted 
by a lantern and dome. 

The building will contain 1,173 sittings, of which 
600 are free. Towards this design the Incorporated 
society contributed T220, the Diocesan society £200, 
the remainder of the expences by private subscriptions. 

The ancient street denominated Horse-street, and, 
modernly, Southgate-street (its old name having been 
altered, about twenty years ago, by the suggestion of 
Mr. Barnes), was a narrow road, having houses on 
either side of a mean appearance, covered with thatch, 
so lately as 1726, and crossed the Barton of Bath from 
St. Lawrence’s bridge to the South gate. Leland, in 


© 




















ST. JAMES. 


113 j 

1542, describes the meadows as coming home to the 
street on both sides. The west side still preserves j 
the name of Ambrey , a cupboard or storehouse for 
provisions, to which purpose the ancient Ambrey house 
was devoted by the monks. In 1726, a severe fire 
occurred, which destroyed the major part of the ancient 
houses, and then the street assumed its present hand¬ 
some appearance. 

In 1727, Wood proposed that the General hospital 
should be built in the Ambrey mead, then used as 
a kitchen garden ; and as this spot was contiguous to 
the hot spring, it was resolved to make a new bath 
in the centre of the building; but no sooner was the 
plan proposed, than the land got into other hands* and 
ten years elapsed before a site could be obtained. 

Southgate-street is terminated by the Old bridge, 
enlarged in 1754, and again in 1847, on the site of 
St. Lawrence’s bridge, which was built in 1304, to 
enable the inhabitants to attend the chartered fair, held 
on the top of Holloway, on the 3rd of May. Upon it 
prior John de Walcot placed a small oratory, or chapel, 
wherein a priest said a short prayer for the sick and j 
lame, and others who passed into the city in search of ; 
health or profit. Tor this service he was remunerated 
by a small coin. Such chapels still continue in Homan 
Catholic countries, although long since disused in our 
own. The bridge had a tower on its south side, with 
portcullis and warders, and houses on both sides. The 
centre piers were surmounted by two stone figures, the 
one representing a lion, the other a bear, which were 


i 













114 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


mischievously destroyed in 1799, and thrown into the 
river. The approach to the city was further guarded 
by a drawbridge, which crossed the ditch in front of 
I the south gate. 


TOitocomhe* 


t 


Pive-and-twenty years ago, the first house on the 
“ beach,” as Claverton-street was formerly called, was 
the Old Pack Horse—an ancient inn, where Allen, 
Pope, Graves, Warburton, Pielding, and other worthies 
were wont to smoke their pipes, and enjoy agreeable 
converse. This house was removed in 1824. 

The curiously-constructed wooden bridge, by which 
the railroad passes over the river, here attracts our 
attention. Crossing in an oblique direction, it required 
much engineering ability to overcome the difficulty; 
for, although the river is here but eighty feet wide, the 
bridge has two arches, each eighty feet span. Nor 
must we omit to notice the architecture of the stone 
arches which span the two roads, and appear to form a 
castellated building. 

On an eminence above the street is the church of St. 
Mark, erected in 1832, a neat Decorated Gothic build¬ 
ing, with a quadrangular tower. It has a beautiful 
stained glass east window, the gift of a lady, the lights 
representing St. Peter, St. Mark, St. James, and St. 
Michael, surmounted by the letters p. Jj. in the 
centre mullion. 

At the bottom of Lyncombe hill, nearly opposite the 























THE CEMETERY. 


115 


mill, is the house formerly occupied by the poet Pope. 
On the hanks of the river, a little below, was Ralph 
Allen’s stone wharf, to which was brought the freestone 
from the quarries on Coombe down. A railway, similar 
to the one from the Hampton rocks, came down the 
carriage road to the river side; it was laid on frames 
of timber, one mile and a half in length. In an old 
view, still extant, the ladies and gentlemen may be 
seen walking to Prior park by the side of the railroad. 

At the end of Claverton-street we turn the corner to 
Prior park buildings, and pass by some pretty modern 
villas, and a short walk conducts us to the O^cmeten), 
laid out by the Rev. Mr. Brodrick, the present rector 
of Bath, at his own expense, for the use of the Abbey 
parish, of which it now forms an integral portion, under 
a late act of parliament enabling city parishes to incor¬ 
porate portions of suburban ones for cemeteries. This 
place, although but lately opened, is already beginning 
to assume the air of a Necropolis, and forms a great 
ornament to the suburb of Widcombe. 

The chapel is a pure specimen of the Anglo-Norman 
style. Mr. Manners’s original design comprehended 
cloisters for the erection of monuments; they would 
have formed three sides of a quadrangle 130 feet long, 
the non-completion of which causes the building to 
want breadth, its height considerably exceeding its 
length, whereas had it been completed as first proposed, 
it would have produced a most picturesque effect. 

Among other tombs, we see that of General Hick, 
whose body, in a remarkable state of preservation, was 









© 


116 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

exhumed in August, 1845, for a judicial enquiry, after 
having been seventeen months entombed. 

Just below, a stone, representing a Roman altar, 
informs us of the discovery of three skeletons during 
the formation of the Cemetery, together with coins of 
Constantine the Great and Carausius. The former, a 
native of England, born at York, was the first Roman 
emperor who professed Christianity; the latter held 
i the independent sovereignty of Britain against the 
Roman power, and was succeeded by Allectus. 

From the Cemetery we obtain varied and extensive 
views, of the most beautiful description. The back of 
Beechen-cliff forms a noble prospect, towering 360 feet 
above the city, which, with its churches, the Abbey 
rising in the midst, stretches up the height of Lans- 
down. Below, to the westward, is Bagatelle, formerly 
a public tea garden; and Perrymead, with the road 
leading through the romantically-situated archway to 
Pope’s favourite walk; eastward, the picturesque ivy- 
covered tower of Widcombe old church, with its manor 
house and hanging plantation rising above its rural 
graveyard; to the south, the grounds of Prior park; 
while Lyncombe-hill, with its diversified scenery, con¬ 
tributes to the calm enjoyment of those wlio walk in 
sadness among the graves of the beloved dead; and 
thoughts of life and duty will arise, for, ere the mourner 
occupies the narrow cell ordained for all, he will, while 
looking on the busy city of the vale, feel that there are 
duties to perform before the grave can be looked on as 
the gate of heaven ! 


© 















PRIOR PARK. 


117 


3|rtor 

We can proceed to Prior park either by the Carriage- 
road, or Pope’s secluded walk, through the archway 
into the fields. The associations connected with this 
celebrated spot, and the many illustrious characters with 
which it has been connected, will, in either case, cause 
the mind some degree of pleasure; and fancy, in her 
wayward moments, will repeople it with the spirits of 
the illustrious dead. 

“ A mile a this syde Bathe,” says old Leland, “ by 
soutlie est, I saw 2 parks enclosyd withe a minus stone 
wall now withe out dere. One longyd to the byshoppe, 
an other to the prior of Bathe.” Prom the circum¬ 
stance of its belonging to the priory, it received its 
name; and at the dissolution it was included in the 
lands bought of the king by Humphrey Colles. 

The magnificent mansion owes its erection to the 
reflections cast upon the Bath oolite, or freestone, by 
the London architects, Ralph Allen having given Wood 
a commission, in 1738, to spare no expense in shewing 
the world what could be done with that valuable build¬ 
ing material. 

It would be difficult to choose a better spot for such 
a purpose. The house looks down the vista of its 
shady grounds and well-kept lawns through the pretty 
glen of Widcombe, where a sheet of water is crossed 
by a Palladian bridge. It is said to comprise a more 
beautiful and varied view than any other private resi¬ 
dence in the kingdom, embracing an extensive prospect 











118 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

of tlie city and its environs, with the sloping hill of 
Lansdown, Bedford’s tower,' and Beacon-hill. Its 
lofty situation, its magnificent portico, and the extreme 
grandeur of its elevation, render it a conspicuous and 
interesting feature in the view from almost every open 
portion of the city. 

I 

It occupies a natural terrace one hundred feet below 
Combe down, in front of the Wansdyke, here obliterated 
by fir plantations and horticultural operations, and 
stands four hundred feet above the level of the Avon. 
It consists of a centre house, with two wings of offices, 
all united by arcades, one beautiful line of building 
forming the segment of a circle thirteen hundred feet 
long. The house itself is one hundred and fifty feet 
in breadth, of the Corinthian order, elevated on a rustic 
basement, crowned with a portico, and reached by a 
noble flight of steps. This portico was considered, at 
the time, to be the most beautiful and correct hectastyle, 
or six-columned portico, in the kingdom. 

Prior park has been, for some years, occupied as a 
Catholic collegiate establishment. The external appear¬ 
ance of the mansion is but little altered, notwithstanding 
the severe and destructive fire which occurred on the 
30th May, 1836. In its rear, attached to the building, 
a Homan Catholic cathedral, in the Italian style of 
architecture, is in the course of erection; but the works 
are at present suspended. 

But Prior park is rendered remarkable from its having 
been the residence of a man who did as much for the 
permanent prosperity of Bath as any of the worthies of 

®-— 















the last century. It is difficult to delineate the cha¬ 
racter of Ralph Allen, without being unconsciously led 
away by the panegyric of contemporary writers. He 
was possessed of the most benevolent disposition; a 
good, rather than a great man ; his celebrity, in a great 
degree 3 resting upon the fact of his intimacy and unos¬ 
tentatious acts of kindness to those who, in the outset 
of their career, needed a friend, and who, by their own 
talents and exertions, became both good and great. 
The friend of Pope, Fielding, Smollett, Warburton, and 
Graves is entitled to the admiration and respect of their 
admirers; and when we find that immense riches in his 
hands were not allowed to lie idly in the mass, but by his 
benevolence produce a fructifying influence on all around, 
in being devoted to the perfection of good and laudable 
w r orks, w r e feel that we must join Pope in saying, he 


© 


i 


“ Did good by stealth, and blushed to find it fame.” 


He was born in 1692. His father had nothing to 
give his son but a good education. He was, in 1715, 
a clerk in the Bath Post-office. Here, probably by 
opening suspicious-looking letters, he obtained infor¬ 
mation of a load of arms coming to Bath for the use 
of those who favoured the Pretender. “When,” says 
Dr. Harington, “ the rebellion burst out, a numerous 
junto in Bath took most active measures to aid the 
insurrection in the west of England ; and Mr. Carte, 
the minister of the Abbey parish when Allen detected 
the plot, w r as glad to escape from the constables by 
j leaping from a window in full canonicals.” 

©---© 














120 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


The Government had stationed the celebrated General 
Wade in Bath, and to him Allen conveyed his intelli¬ 
gence, which so greatly pleased him that he procured him 
the appointment of postmaster of Bath, and married 
him to his natural daughter. Miss Earl. 

In 1742, he served the office of mayor of Bath. 
Retiring from the corporation in 1763, he presented 
the city with £500 towards the expense of rebuilding 
the Guildhall. 

His loyalty was so unshaken, that, on the breaking 
out of the second Stuart rebellion, in 1745, he clothed 
and equipped 100 volunteers at his own expense ; and, 
in 1752, he received the princess Amelia as his visitor 
at Prior park. 

At this period he applied himself to the establishment 
of cross-posts, which he perfected, and obtained a lease 
from Government for twenty-one years, at £6,000 per 
annum; and so profitable had his plan become, that 
he renewed his lease at an annual rental of £20,000. 
During this time, he obtained so great an influence in 
the city, that he was enabled to do as he pleased, even 
so far as electing its representatives in parliament. But, 
although riches and power increased, he has never been 
accused of selfishness; indeed, his house was open to 
all the wits and literary characters of his age. Among 
others, he sought out Pope, and loaded him with kind¬ 
ness, only to discover that the friendship of such a man 
was a chimera. Pope, not content with his great atten¬ 
tion to himself, wished him to give up the manor house 
of Bathampton to Martha Blount, his mistress. Allen 














PRIOR PARK. 


121 


was shocked, and positively refused to do so ; upon 
which the poet quitted the house, and spoke disrespect¬ 
fully of his best friend ; and in his will ordered his 
executors to pay Allen the sum of £150, as the amount 
owing for his entertainment at Prior park. Allen paid 
this sum into the funds of the Bath hospital, quietly 
observing, that when Mr. Pope spoke of the sum of 
! obligation, he had omitted a cipher in the account. 
He also befriended Pielding, not only with hospitality, 
but with money; and it is well known that the Squire 
Allworthy of “ Tom Jones” is intended for Allen, the 
finest scenes in the novel occurring at Prior park. 

He abty seconded Wood in the improvement of 
the city; and was one of the earliest supporters of 
the Bath hospital, to which he not only contributed, 
but delivered, ready worked, at the building, all the 
stone required in its construction. One of the wards 
of that noble institution is appropriately named after 
him ; and in the corridor of the principal floor a beau¬ 
tiful bust of white marble, from the chisel of William 
Iloare, was placed by bishop Warburton as a public 
j record of his benevolence. 

He appears constantly to have kept in mind arch¬ 
bishop Wliitgift’s motto, on his noble foundation at 
Croydon, in Surrey— 

“ He that giveth to the poor will never want.” 

In conclusion, we are led to observe, that riches in 
the hands of such a man appear to exert their legiti¬ 
mate influence, by dispensing happiness to all around. 











® 


® 


122 TILLAGE KAMBLES. 

His virtues wreathe his tomb with undying honour, 
far more precious than that which is accorded to the 
heroes of public history; and from the contemplation 
of such good deeds we assume that the philanthropist is 
more worthy of our respect than the warrior, however 
glorious his victories may be. 

Allen married a second wife, Elizabeth Holder ; and, 
dying in 1764, at the age of 71, he was buried under 
the handsome mausoleum in Claverton churchyard. 

William Warburton was descended from a knightly 
family of the county palatine of Chester, and was born 
on Christmas eve, 1698, at Newark-upon-Trent, where 
his father practised as a solicitor. In the year 1714, 
he was articled to Mr. Ivirke, an attorney at Great 
Markham; and after devoting four years to the study 
of the law, he applied himself to theology, was ordained 
deacon in 1723, and priest in 1726. 

He was presented to the rectory of Brand Broughton, 
in Lincolnshire in 1728, where he resided until 1746 ; 
during which period he wrote his “ Alliance between 
Church and State,” which was followed by the first 
volume of his celebrated work, “ The Divine Legation 
of Moses Demonstrated,” the second volume appearing 
in 1741. The judgment of cotemporary critics was 
divided in regard to its merits. While some considered 
it a work of such exquisite learning, that, in the whole 
range of theological literature, it were difficult to find 
its equal, others condemned it as deficient in proof; 
for the huge masses of learning brought to bear on the 
demonstration of that divine mission, tended to produce 


® 




















PRIOR PARK. 


123 


a doubt from the apparently great difficulty of the 
proof, and the immense labour taken to elucidate it. 

While at Broughton, he defended Pope’s beautiful 
poem, “ The Essay on Man,” from the attacks of a 
French critic, Monsieur de Crousaz, and this led to an 
acquaintance with the poet; who procured him the 
patronage of Mr. Murray, afterwards the great Lord 
Mansfield, and introduced him to the hospitable board 
of his friend, Ralph Allen. 

It is strange upon what trivial circumstances the 
destinies of men appear to depend. Warburton’s in¬ 
troduction to Allen was, of itself, perhaps, unimportant, 
but it had so great an influence on his fortunes, that 
we must relate it at full. 

First, then, w r e see the man of letters employing his 
leisure hours in combating the attack of an unknown 
critic on a poem written by a stranger; and then an 
invitation given by the author to his defender, which, 
being accepted, Warburton writes, proposing to go to 
Twickenham, where Pope resided. But it happened 
that the poet was on a visit at Prior park. Warbur¬ 
ton’s letter is handed to him at dinner: he lavs it on 

* t 

the table, perplexed. “What is the matter?” says 
Allen. “ Oh,” replies he, “ a Lincolnshire parson, to 
whom I am much obliged, promises me a visit.” “ If 
that be all, let him come hereand this was Warbur¬ 
ton’s introduction to his future home ! 

In 1746 he married Allen’s favorite niece, Gertrude 
Tucker, and resided at Prior park; but w 7 as not long 
allowed to remain in retirement, for, in the following 


I 










124 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


year, lie was elected preacher at Lincoln’s inn, and 
published an edition of Shakspere’s Plays. In 1749, 
he vindicated Pope in the affair of Boling-broke’s 
Patriot King; and, in 1750, published “ Julian.” In 
the year 1751, he gave to the world an edition of 
Pope’s Works; followed, in 1754, by his “Principles 
of Natural and Revealed Religion.” 

Hitherto his rise in the church had not been rapid ; 
but, in 1753, he was appointed to a stall in Gloucester 
cathedral, which, by Murray’s interest, he exchanged 
for one in Din-ham, in 1755. Shortly afterwards, 
archbishop Herring gave him the diploma of D. D.; 
and it is not a little remarkable that he should, through 
life, have had no connexion with either university—a 
circumstance, perhaps, without parallel in the histqry 
of an Anglican prelate of modern times. 

In 1757, he was made dean of Bristol; and was 
raised to the see of Gloucester in 1760. 

His subsequent labours consisted in preparing new 
editions of his works, with some lesser controversial 
writings directed against bishop Lowtli, John Wesley, 
and the Socinians. In right of his wife, he took pos¬ 
session of Prior park at Allen’s death; and devoted 
himself so closely to literary pursuits, that the king, 
not having seen him at court for some time, asked him 
if he had just left his diocese ? Warburton was a 
shrewd man; and, knowing wherein his power lay, 
replied, “ No ; but I have, at Prior park, been combat¬ 
ing the enemies of that faith of which your Majesty is 
the zealous defender.” 












PRIOR PARK. 


125 


He died on the 7th June, 1779, and was buried in 
Gloucester cathedral. 

“ He was,” says Dr. Johnson, “ a man of vigorous 
faculties; a mind fervent and vehement, supplied by 
incessant and unlimited enquiry, with wonderful extent 
and variety of knowledge. To every work he brought 
a memory full fraught, together with a fancy fertile in 
original combinations, exerting the powers of the 
scholar, the reasoner, and the wit. But his knowledge 
was too multifarious to be always exact; his pursuits 
too eager, to be always cautious. His abilities gave 
him a haughty confidence, which he disdained to con¬ 
ceal or mollify. His impatience of opposition disposed 
him to treat his adversaries with such contemptuous 
superiority as made his readers his enemies, and excited 
against the advocate the wishes of some who favoured 
the cause. He used no allurements of gentle language, 
but Avished to compel rather than persuade. His 
style is copious without selection, and forcible without 
neatness. He took his words as they presented them¬ 
selves, and his sentences are unmeasured.” 

Dr. Hurd, bishop of Worcester, thus delineates his 
character :—“ He possessed those virtues which are so 
important in society, truth, probity, and honour, in the 
highest degree, with a frankness of temper very un¬ 
common, and a friendship to those he loved which knew 
no bounds. Not suspicious or captious in the least; 
quick, indeed, in his resentment of real injuries, but 
then again (as is natural to such tempers) of the utmost 
placability. He had an ardent love of virtue, and the 


© 













© 


© 


126 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

most sincere zeal for religion; was free from bigotry, 
intolerance, and fanaticism. He venerated the civil 
constitution of the country, and was warmly attached 
to the church of England. He was no party man, and 
the sincere advocate of toleration. As a writer and 
divine, it is not easy to find terms that will do justice 
to his merits: his reading was various and extensive, 
and his discernment excpiisite; he saw and seized on 
what was just and useful in every science he cultivated, 
and in every book he read. His style was his own, 
that which we call original; its characters are freedom 
and force. He was the terror of the infidel and Socinian. 

“ In mixed society he was extremely entertaining, 
but less guarded than men of the world usually are, 
disposed to take to himself a larger share of the con¬ 
versation than good breeding would allow; yet few 
washed him to be more reserved, or less communicative, 
so abundant was the entertainment w hich his ready wit 
and extensive knowledge afforded him. In private he 
wms natural, easy, and unpretending, at once the most 
agreeable and most useful companion. You saw to the 
bottom of his heart on any subject of discourse; his 
various literature, penetrating judgment, and quick 
recollection made him say the liveliest and justest things 
upon it/’ 

It is, indeed, difficult to decide which of these sketches 
conveys to posterity the truest picture. While Hr. Hurd 
writes with too partial a pen, Hr. Johnson is, perhaps, 
too acrimonious ; and yet w T e see throughout Hr. Hurd’s 
remarks that truth compels him to admit many failings. 

©--© 














COMBE DOWN. 


127 


Tlie fact is, bishop Warburton’s works display an unne¬ 
cessary and ostentatious parade of learning, where truth 
needs close and convincing argument alone for its elu¬ 
cidation. His attacks on the Socinians are not the 
gentle corrections of a friend seeking to convince, but 
rather the castigations of an enemy anxious to triumph. 
His works, erudite as they are, no longer please; and 
we must accord him the negative merit of having been 
a man who steadilv maintained the doctrines of his 

4/ 

church, without doing much for the advancement of 
vital and essential religion. His intentions were good, 
but his manner rendered them inoperative; so that his 
works are now perused rather for their great learning 
than for edification or religious study. In his own day 
he enjoyed immense popularity; but he had not the 
firm basis of the minister of truth, whose writings are 
entitled to universal respect. He sought in polemics 
for mere temporary honours, which his natural vanity 
taught him to consider eternal; so that his works, 
which were greatly praised during his lifetime, are now 
consigned to oblivion. 


(ftombe Soinn. 

Passing through the gates of the Carriage-road, we 
arrive at the village of Combe Down ; and, keeping the 
highway for a short distance to the left hand, we come 
to a gate, which conducts us to the Monument field, so 
named from a triangular Gothic building, with a round 
tower on the top, erected by bishop Warburton, whereon 














128 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

was formerly a tablet, with a Latin inscription, in honour 
of Ralph Allen. It contains a circular staircase, now 
crumbling through neglect, and promises, for want of 
slight repairs, to become a ruin. A portion of the 
Wansdyke may be seen, near the wall, in a perfect state. 

Continuing the pathway, our return to Bath is enli¬ 
vened by most beautiful views. In fact, on the brow 
of the hill, one of the most picturesque, and, artistically 
speaking, perfect views of the city is obtained; and a 
short walk brings us past the Strawberry gardens to 
the village of Widcombe, and so to the city of Bath. 

But let us pursue our ramble to Combe down, and 
look into some of the Bath freestone quarries, now in 
full operation ; immense blocks of stone taken out of 
the rock without the aid of blasting, and at once worked 
into convenient ashler for the mason. This stone is at 
first soft and friable, but possesses the valuable pro¬ 
perty of hardening by exposure to air. This arises, in 
a great measure, from the quantity of moisture con¬ 
tained in it; and where this has percolated, beautiful 
crystals and stalactites are formed, much prized by 
collectors. Its fossils are few : they consist of the 
nautilus, pinna marina, oyster, and pecten. 

This stone—called by geologists the great oolite— 
is found very near the surface of the earth, in beds 
about one hundred and thirty feet thick. Its substance 
is composed of marine shells aggregated together; 
these, from their globular shape, give the stone its 
generic name, derived from the Greek word mv —an 
egg. The effect of hydro-chloric acid is effervescence, 














COMBE DOWN. 


129 


leaving but little residue, exhaling a slight animal 
odour. The old quarries, which run under a consider¬ 
able portion of the down, will well repay a visit; light | 
is admitted by circular shafts. The workmen are i 
extremely civil in shewing their collections of fossils; 
and the stranger usually bestows on them a slight 
gratuity for their attention. 

Combe down has long been celebrated for the purity 
and salubrity of its atmosphere; in fact, its situation, on | 
the brow of a hill sloping to the south, together with | 
its proximity to the city, renders it both a delightful 
and convenient residence for invalids. It may truly i 
be called the Clifton of Bath. Its soil is dry, and i 
it is perfectly free from stagnant marshy exhalations, 
enjoying a protection from the cold north winds, 
which, in their passage over the warm vale of Bath, 
are deprived of their severity. Its elevation enables 
the breezes of the western ocean to produce their invi¬ 
gorating influence. The splendid and diversified view 
over beautiful and undulating scenery, embracing Long- 
leat, Clay-hill, the White Horse, Stourton tower, Midford 
castle, and the Wiltshire downs, renders it all that can 
be desired where a pure dry air, with pleasant walks, is 
the object of the invalid. 

How different is its aspect from what it was when 
Mr. Rack wrote his description, in 1780 ! “ The 

village of Combe Down,” says he, “ consists of eleven 
houses, built of the stone raised on the spot, each of 
which has a small garden in front, originally built for 
the workmen employed in the quarries. They are now 

K 















130 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


let to invalids from Bath, who retire hither for the sake 
of a very fine air, from which many have derived essen¬ 
tial benefit; the beautiful and extensive prospect, the 
wild but pleasing irregularities of the scenery, the 
extensive plantations of fir, which throw a solemn 
gloominess of shade, impervious to the sun and winds, 
over a fine soft turf free from underwood—all serve to 
render it a delightful summer retreat.” 

The firs are nearly all gone, excepting within the walls 
i of Prior park, where, indeed, they form a delightful 
walk, and in their place a large and populous village 
| has sprung up, having good houses for the reception 
of visitors, and a very handsome church, of the Per¬ 
pendicular Gothic style, with a chaste and elegant 
spire ; while near it stands a neat parsonage house, of 
the domestic architecture of the period chosen for the 
church, which was consecrated in 1835, and is a chapel 
of ease to that of 

fftoitkton (itfcmbe, 

Which village lies in the valley about half a mile 
distant, and consists of an irregular street, terminating 
at the churchyard, in which is a church, erected (with 
the exception of the chancel, which is ancient, and the 
vestry-room, lately completed) in 1814, on the site of a 
very ancient one. The building presents no features of 
interest, with the exception of a monumental tablet to the 
memory of some members of the ancient family of Sliute. 

The following lines, from the pen of Thomas Camp- 
, bell, are engraven on the monument of Mrs. Shute 
















MONKTON COMBE. 


131 


and her daughters, who were accidentally drowned at 
Chepstow, on Sunday, Sept. 20, 1812 :— 

“ In deep submission to the will above, 

Yet with no common cause for human tears, 

This stone, for the lost partner of his love, 

And for his children lost, a mourner rears. 

One fatal moment, one o’erwhelming doom 
Tore threefold from his heart the ties of earth; 

His Mary, Marg’ret., in their early bloom, 

And her who gave them life, and taught them worth. 

F arewell! ye broken pillars of my fate, 

My life’s companion, and my two first born ; 

Yet while this silent stone I consecrate 
To conjugal, paternal love forlorn,— 

Oh ! may each passer-by the lesson learn, 

Which can alone the bleeding heart sustain, 

(When friendship weeps at virtue’s funeral urn) 

That to the pure in heart—‘to die is gain.’ ” 

Against the north wall of the chancel is a tablet 

o . y* 

tomb, with a pediment terminating in three altars, 
having three Latin verses, alternately hexameters and 
pentameters, of which I shall endeavour to convey the 
meaning in the following stanzas :— 

Rice Mansell, knight; his daughter, Katheryne, 

From home thou art, the wife of Bassett’s squire. 

Bewper thy home ; and where they did enshrine 
Morgan, the Britons’ king, thou didst a babe respire. 

Thy term of years was eight times ten ; but Time 
Thine age sustained, and his, who was thy care ; 

A youthful pair Love joined, and here they join 
In death, who had of days and years an equal share. 










132 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


His junior seven years ; when they had wedded been 
That term of life, she was a widow seven ; 

So that each had of time an equal share, 

And the same day unlocked to both the gate of heaven. 




i 


i 

I 

i 


William Bassett, 
Died a.d. 1586, 
Aged 80, March 10. 


Katheryne Bassett, 
Died a.d. 1593, 
Aged 80, March 10. 


Thomas Leyson, posuit. 

The last line of this epitaph I transcribe for its 
exquisite beauty. It evidently alludes to their both 
dying on the same day of the month, and, it will be 
seen, both of the same age :— 


“Vitae ambo et mortis par fuit ipsa dies.” 


Collinson calls this village Combe Monkton; but 
says that its name is simply Combe, the other being 
added from its being the property of the Bath Abbey. 
On the right, as you enter the village, the elegant 
mansion of Combe grove, from whose terrace a magni¬ 
ficent view of the valley of Midford is obtained, rises 
three hundred feet above the village. 

In Domesday Book, this manor is called Currie, a 
word signifying a valley ; from time immemorial it was 
possessed by Bath Abbey. Its value at the Conquest 
was £8; at the Reformation, £20. Its net rental is 
now £3,469, on an area of 540 statute acres. In 1780, 
it paid £103 poor rates, its population being 280 ; in 
1841, from the great increase of the village of Combe 
Down, its population was 1,107. This is steadily 
increasing. Its poor rates now average £139 yearly; 


i 














MONKTON COMBE. 


<§>■ 




133 


so that here we see a population quadrupled in sixty 
years, with but little increase in the poor rates, which 
circumstance may fairly be attributed to the constant 
employment afforded in the quarries. 

Proceeding through the village to the Somerset coal 
canal, we catch a glimpse of the viaduct, and can, if 
we please, return by Brass Knocker hill, or walk on to 
Dundas, and so home by way of the canal. 

The beauty of the vale of Midford here attracts our 
attention. Its delightful scenery is dotted with farm¬ 
houses ; while the seat of Major Davis is beautifully 
situated on the opposite bank of Midford water. A 
short walk along the banks of the canal brings us to a 
pretty rural landscape. Crossing the bridge, we arrive 
at Mrs. Hooker’s, where a cup of coffee, served with 
kind attention, recruits our fatigue ; and the better to 
enjoy the beauties of an exquisite bit of landscape 
scenery, we sit down on one of the sunny seats. 
Around us are the flowers of the garden, with those of 
a humbler character; while the vine, the melon, and 
the fig seek support from the weed-clad rock which 
slopes above our head. And here the laurel and more 
stately bay entwine to form a leafy bower; and we 
gather, amidst the fragrant wild thyme, the wood 
strawberry from the rocky crevices. 

Of Midford, in 1588, Leland thus speaks :— cc I cam 
to a village, and passid over a ston bridge they caullid 
Milford water. This broke risitli yn the roots of Mendip 
hides, about a 7 miles or more by west south-west from 
this bridge, and goith a mile lower into Avon.” 


© 








134 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Between this romantic glen and Combe down are 
the now deserted De Montalt Paper mills—a handsome 
building, erected, in 1805, for the manufacture of Bath 
vellum and other fine papers. The chimney is at a 
considerable distance ; and the water, from a reservoir 
above, was conveyed by a pipe to the wheel, fifty-six 
feet in diameter. 


ifElttffovtt, 

This hamlet is remarkable for its modern castle, which 
stands in a very commanding situation. It is of sin¬ 
gular construction, triangular,having the angles rounded 
off, and embattled. Erected on a beautiful slope, its 
lower terrace is raised to a considerable height, and 
surrounded by a handsome balustrade. On the north 
and east there is a deep rugged glen, the sides of which 
are clothed with fine coppice woods, intersected with 
beautiful serpentine walks, and ornamented with flow¬ 
ering shrubs. 

When the house, which unites all the conveniences 
of a modern dwelling with the grandeur of aspect 
belonging to a medieval baronial castle, was erected, 
the owner built a Gothic priory on an abrupt brow of 
a hill, overlooking Horscombe brook; and at a little 
distance from it, in a thick mass of shade, a hermitage, 
surrounded by picturesque and romantic scenery. 

At Midford, the Itadstock tram-way brings the pro- 
I duce of the pits in that neighbourhood to the Somerset 













SOUTH STOKE. 


135 


coal canal, where there is an ingenious machine for 
weighing* a barge-load of coals. 

At the bend of the canal, we cross one of the locks, 
and pursue our course through a finely-wooded glen to 
a pathway, across undulating arable land, lying on the 
brow of a hill, on the summit of which is the pretty 
and sequestered village of 

SoutI) Stofee. 

Passing by an ancient grange in the homestead of a 
modern antique farm-house, we arrive at the church, 
which was repaired, enlarged, and beautified in 1845, 
under the direction of Mr. Manners. At its west 
end, its quadrangular embattled tower rises to an 
altitude of fifty feet, having a turret and pinnacles. It 
is of the fifteenth century, and was, in all probability, 
erected in the reign of king Henry VII. ; for Wharton 
relates that, during the wars of the Roses, Somerset 
was decidedly Lancasterian, in return for which Henry 
rebuilt most of their churches, which are distinguished 
by their latticed battlements and broad open windows. 
The northern doorway is a good specimen of the 
Anglo-Norman circular arch, and has been beautifully 
restored. There is also a Norman font. The pulpit is 
! of stone, in the style of the church. The alterations 
reflect great credit on the vicar, the Rev. Mr. Blayds, 
at whose expense chiefly, aided by a grant from the 
Diocesan society, they have been brought to a con¬ 
clusion. Mr. Blayds, at his own cost, erected, in 1840, 
a handsome village school, with a dwelling-house for 
the mistress. 

® - ——-© 




















136 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


At tlie Conquest, this manor existed in two separate 
lordships, as it had done in Edward the Confessor’s 
reign. William gave one to the bishop of Coutance, 
the other to earl Morton; the former was taxed for 
seven hides, the latter for five and a half, while a small 
portion was not taxed. 

In an old lease, preserved in the Harleian MSS., the 
following memorandum occurs :— 

“ That the vicar, for the time being, should have 
going and pasturing freely with the farmer s beasts 
there, for three beasts; whereof one shall be a horse, 
mare, or gelding, the second a kowe, and the third a 
bullock; the first with the farmer's mares, his kowe 
with the farmer s kine, unci his bullock with the 
farmer s bullocks, in certain leases and pastures; that 
is to say, in Brode close, Grove close, and Shephouse 
close, from time to time, as it has been used and 
accustomed time owte of mind." 

In 1780, its population was 200 ; its poor rates £37. 
In 1841, its population was 330. At present, the 
poor rates amount, on an average, to £56, having 
been £128 previous to the formation of the Union, 
on an area of 864 statute acres, paying a net rental 
of £1,921. 

The village contains nothing remarkable, except some 
ancient farm-houses, one of which, bearing date 1697, 
is now turned into a beerhouse. 

Descending by Hod’s hill, we come again to the 
valley, the meandering stream, and the canal, where 
the celebrated Weldon erected a caisson lock in 1798, 









COMBE HAY. 


137 


for the ascent and descent of barges. It consisted of 
a wooden chamber, capable of containing a barge, with 
a door at each end. The vessel being received, the 
doors were shut, a sufficient quantity of water to float 
it being first admitted; it was then either raised or 
lowered by appropriate machinery in a cistern built of 
free-stone, sixty feet high, the perpendicular height 
from the surface of the lower canal to that of the upper 
being forty-six feet. There was an aperture at each 
end of this lock communicating with the canals, with 
a sliding door to receive the caisson. At the first 
experiment several gentlemen ascended and descended; 
but from some defect in the masonry, it proved a 
failure, and the descent is now effected-by twenty-one 
common locks. 

We now pass through a lane wherein the botanist 
will find, at every season of the year, enough to gratify 
his industry; while, from the vale, the varied and 
diversified tints of Combehay park will tempt him to 
explore that retired village. 


(£omfce*Jftap, or J^afoei). 

A lovely spot thou art, Combehay ! Thy trees 
With golden fruit, around each humble cot, 

Are deeply laden, when Autumnal winds 

Sweep o’er the well-reap’d fields, where corn has been. 

Thy Winter is enlivened by the yew, 

From which, in days gone by, strong bows were made ; 
And sav’ry herbs, in sickness much extolled, 

Grow ’midst the fragrant flowers of thy vale. 


















138 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


The rose and eglantine spread o’er each thatch, 

With creeping plants—first objects of the care 
Of peasantry, who prize their own roof tree. 

Fat beeves and sheep contentedly recline 
Beneath the trees; from every white thorn hedge 
The song birds warble; and the merry laugh 
Of childhood, happy in their sport, is heard 
Above the murm’ring of the limpid stream. 

This was the only manor in Somerset given by William 
to his half-brother, Odo, bishop of 13ayeux, and earl 
of Kent, reputed the wisest among the Conqueror’s 
generals, but who, both in his and the succeeding 
reign, was constantly involved in plots and conspiracies. 
The manor on his deprivation, was given to the family 
of Hawey, from whom it received its second appellation. 
In their possession it remained until the reign of king 
Edward I., when an heiress brought it to the Stradlings, 
who held it until 1684. It has since had a variety of 
owners, and is now the property of the Hon. Hanbury 
Tracy. 

The mansion house is one of the most convenient 
and delightful residences in the vicinity of Bath ; and 
when in the possession of the late Colonel Leigh, was 
honoured by the presence of king George IV., when 
prince of Wales, and other members of the royal family. 
It contains some valuable pictures, and is situated on 
a lawn sloping down to an ornamental stream of water, 
in a park adorned with all the variety of hill, dale, and 
wood. 

And then its simple village church, which, as it were, 
nestles close to the great house, hid almost from view 













COMBEIIAY. 


139 


amidst its evergreens, its ivy-covered tower (tlie last 
remains of time-honoured antiquity) surmounting its 
modern nave and chancel. 

This tower was built in the fifteenth, while the 
building itself is of the eighteenth century, presenting 
nothing remarkable. And in this sweet sequestered 
spot we have a poet’s grave. Seek it not among the 
epitaphs which love or pride suggests to mark the 
last abiding place of frail mortality—its sacred mound 
bears none of these; but where the laurel puts forth 
its winter’s green, and daisies bloom, while other flowers 
wait a more congenial season, the poet lies. Nature 
alone points out the spot where he, who so sweetly 
sang her beauties, rests. Not among the gigantic 
precipices, or foaming waterfalls, which he himself 
described in all their wondrous beauty; but in the 
silent village grave-yard, with a laurel only to mark 
the spot, lies Dartmoor’s poet, Carrington ! 

The following brief biography I have abstracted 
from the edition of his poems, published, in 1834, by 
his son, the talented editor of the Bath Chronicle :— 

“Carrington was born at Plymouth, in 1777, and 
at fifteen was apprenticed to Mr. Pox, a measurer in 
Plymouth dockyard. Pie was (as he himself said) 
totally unfit for the business. Mild by nature, fond of 
literary pursuits, and attached to reading, it was strange 
that a mechanical profession should have been chosen for 
him. Popular prejudice among the Plymouth lads in 
favour of the yard, and his father’s being attached to it, 
were the cause of his taking a step he soon repented of. 








140 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Not succeeding in being removed by his parents, he ran 
away at the expiration of three years; and, in a moment 
of desperation, entered on board a man-of-war, and was 
present at the battle off Cape St. Vincent, in 1797, in 
commemoration of which he wrote some verses, which 
attracted the notice of his captain, who kindly sent him 
home. He then became a schoolmaster,; and, in 1804, 
removed to Maidstone, where he married; and returned, 
at the pressing solicitations of his friends, to his native 
place, in 1809, where he conducted an academy until 
within six months of his death, in 1830. 

“It is strange, amidst the unceasing toil of a thirty- 
three years’ scholastic experience, working early and 
late, that he should have found time for literary pur¬ 
suits ; it can only be explained by the assumption that 
the brief snatches of freedom which his holidays gave 
him, left that influence on his mind that could be 
embodied into language in the intervals of leisure. His 
boast was, that business was never neglected. He 
possessed a winning manner and a kind heart; he was 
the child of nature, virtuous and independent, whose 
Christianity was a holy influence, shedding a blessing on 
all around. Varied knowledge, great aft ability, and a 
retiring modesty of demeanour, caused him, in society, 
to be listened to with pleasure and satisfaction. His 
‘Dartmoor’ abounds with felicitous imagery, and great 
fidelity of description. George IV. was so well pleased 
with its perusal, that he presented him with <£50. 

“ He died in Bath, September 2, 1830, of pulmonary 
consumption, a disease calculated, of all others, to raise 













HINTON CHARTERHOUSE. 


141 


tlie poet’s hopes and aspirations, in which the nearer 
the extinction of life’s mortal flame, the brighter does 
it bnrn, shedding, even in its latest glimmering, the 
warm glow of happiness over the reminiscences of a 
well-spent life. I shall close this brief sketch with 
his own words, the conclusion of his beautiful poem, 
* My Native Village— 

£ - let me rest 

Like a tired bird in its own quiet nest; 

And find (how exquisite to find it!) there 
Life’s stormy noon crown’d with a sunset fair !’ 

In Domesday Book the manor is called Come. It 
was then, with Tornie (now Twinney), worth £10 13s. 
Its net rental is now £1,620, on an area of 1,011 
statute acres. Its population, in 1841, was 239, when 
its poor rates averaged £181; but now they are reduced 
to £97 per annum. 


JQtnton (ftjjartevliouge. 

The liberty of Norton and Hinton —exempted in 
the reign of Henry III., from the jurisdiction of the 
hundred of Wellow, by which it is surrounded, in con¬ 
sequence of its having been bestowed by Ela, countess 
of Salisbury, on the Carthusian monastery, which she 
then founded—contains so many objects of interest, • 
that, on our arrival at Midford, we are tempted to pur¬ 
sue our walk up the hill, whence we obtain delightful 
and varied views, embracing the hamlet and castle of 
Midford, with its Belgic-British stronghold; Coombe 




















142 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


down and South Stoke; hanging woods and neat farm¬ 
houses embosomed in foliage; with the firs of Duncairn 
hill; causing us to pause, ever and anon, in our ascent, 
to admire the beauties of the sceneiy. 

At the Conquest, king William gave this liberty to 
Edward, earl of Salisbury, from whom it obtained the 
prefix of cc Comitis” Hinton was afterwards called 
Charterhouse-Hinton, from its abbey ; and Norton, 
Philip’s Norton, from the saint to whom its church 
was dedicated 

The Wansdyke ascends the hill from Midford to 
Hinton. PIalf-w r ay up, on the eastern side, there is a 
Belgic-British fort, and one near the lodge of Hinton 
abbey; above this, a beacon barrow; w r hile the abbey 
occupies the site of another. There w T as a British 
settlement at Hinton, and the remains of the Homan 
entrenchment are still visible. In one portion, called 
the Bulwarks, coins and pottery have been found; 
and among the ruins of the abbey, Boman bricks and 
other relics are discovered. 

The village occupies a commanding position on the 
top of a hill, five miles from Bath. 

The church is of the early English style, presenting 
nothing worthy of notice, excepting its square tower, 
which differs from the usual form of the neighbouring 
churches. It has been repaired under Mr. Edward 
Davis’s superintendence. At the chancel end is the 
neat sarcophagus free-stone tomb of Mr. Symonds, of 
Hinton abbey, w T ho died in 1830, surrounded by high 
railings, and approached only by a door from the side 












HINTON CHARTERHOUSE. 


143 


aisle. Within are some memorials of the Hungerford 
family. 

Near the church is a gentleman’s seat, across whose 
grounds we proceed to the ruins of the abbey, which 
was founded, in 1227, by Ela, countess of Salisbury, 
in obedience to the will of her husband, William Long- 
sword, son of king Henry II. and Lair Rosamond. 
She endowed it with the liberty of Norton and Hinton, 
and the advowson of both churches. Her foundation 
was ratified by king Henry III., who ordained that 
the monks should be for ever free from taxation, suit, 
service, and forest laws. Their lands were increased by 
various benefactors ; and king Richard II. gave them 
an annual hogshead of wine from the port of Bristol. 
In 1293, their estates were valued at £24 15s.; in 
1444, at 76 j marks. In a century they increased to 
£248 19s. 2 d. The parish of Hinton now produces a 
net rental of £3,262, on an area of 3,000 statute 
acres. Its population is 797 ; its poor’s rates average 
£185. 

The abbey receives its name of Charterhouse from 
the Carthusians, an order of monks, founded by an 
ecclesiastic named Bruno, who, dying in 1101, was 
canonized by the Church of Rome. The rules of his 
order were very severe. The followers were to live in 
silence, solitude, and prayer. They were forbidden the 
use of linen, and were clothed in a woollen garment, 
partly black and partly white. They abstained entirely 
from flesh ; and on Lriday did penance on bread and 
water. At night they occupied separate cells, destitute 














144 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


of comfort; and none were allowed to leave the con¬ 
vent, except the prior or steward, on urgent business 
of the order. The spot selected by St. Bruno for his 
own cell was among the eternal snows of the Alps. How 
many a weary and half-frozen traveller has to thank 
this worthy man for the assistance rendered him by the 
Alpine mastiffs of the Grande Chartreuse ! 

Yet here they chose a sunny spot, where Nature 
smiled throughout the year, and the noon-day sun and 
silver moon seemed to court them to a life of happiness I 
and a world of beauty; whose flowery meads were 
o’ershadowed by a foliage so dense, that the very birds 
who warbled round them, were hid in verdure. The 
fishpond, too, in which the lazy carp would bare his 
golden back in very sport; while the gay moth (whose 
crimson-tinted wings formed Nature’s happy contrast 
to their dingy garb) fluttered about the water-lily which 
rose above its placid surface; and the bee, whose busy 
hum proclaimed the joy of summer's life and gladness, 
would, as it were, taunt them with the blank inaction 
of a monastic life. 

But our enthusiasm must not blind us to the fact 
that these establishments were the centres of hospitality 
when inns were unknown. During the middle ages— 
those which we improperly call “ dark”—they were the 
nurseries of learning, and the happy retirement of 
learned men. Monkish industry belonged rather to 
the closet than the busy world; without them, our 
literature would not be so copious as it is. They pre¬ 
served the rich treasures bequeathed to posterity by the 











HINTON CHARTERHOUSE. 


145 


I 


I 




t 


! 






historians, poets, and orators of antiquity; in addition 
to which the convents were the depositories of the 
archives of the kingdom. 

At Hinton, a learned monk, Thomas Spencer, de¬ 
voted many years to the composition of books, tending 
to promote the knowledge of Christianity. One of 
these, a Latin Commentary on St. Paul’s Epistle to 
the Galatians, is favourably mentioned in Wood’s 
Athenre Oxoniensis. 

Prior Hord surrendered the monastery to king Henry 
VIII., on the 31st of March, 1540. At that time it 
contained twenty-one monks, whose revenue was T250. 

The present ivy-covered manor house was erected 
by the Hungerfords, out of the ruins of the abbey. It 
is a fine specimen of the Elizabethan mansion, and is 
now undergoing repairs. 

Of the abbey but a small portion remains. The 
chapel is well-proportioned; and, although overrun 
with ivy, we can trace its fine lancet-shaped windows. 
One of the detached portions exhibits a beautifully 
groined freestone roof, springing from central pillars. 
There are other buildings now desecrated into dog 
kennels and cart sheds. The lawn is surrounded by 
the original ditch and low stone wall. 

Matthew Colthurst purchased the abbey at the 
Reformation, dilapidated it, and sold the site to the 
Hungerfords, who resided at Earley castle, two miles 
off, and owned all the land in the neighbourhood. Sir 
Edward Hungerford sold it to the Robinsons, whose 
descendants still possess the manor. 


i 




* 












146 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


or ton gt. TOtItpS. 

The approach to this curious old town, lying in the 
valley two miles from Hinton Charterhouse, and Far¬ 
ley castle, midway between Bath and Frome, is striking 
and interesting. On our left hand, in Mr. Withers’s 
garden, is a gigantic elm, converted into a summer¬ 
house, with ancient stained glass windows, while before 
us is an “ auncient and comon inn,” called by the 
name of the George,” held, as appears by a beautifully- 
written MS. survey, in Mr. Withers’s possession, in 
1638, by one Henry Tovy, with eighteen acres of land, 
at a yearly rental of fifty shillings and fourpence. At 
that period, the manor belonged to Lord Craven, of 
whom Jeffery Flower rented the grange, spoken of by 
Leland, in his “ Itinerary,” with eight hundred acres 
of land, at a yearly rental of £20 2s., although the 
estimated value Avas £343 17s. Flower also rented the 
fairs and market, with a little house in the fair close, 
called Tailor s Hall, at a rental of thirteen shillings 
and fourpence. He contributed largely to the restora¬ 
tion of Bath abbey; the north-east door and window 
were made at his expense. 

From the same document we learn that queen 
Elizabeth, by letters patent, granted certain other 
premises, with eight acres of land, to one Alice Par¬ 
sons, for the life of Jeffery FloAver; and, fifty years 
after, at a yearly rental of fourteen shillings. This 
property included the “ Fflower de Luce” inn, over 
against the Market cross, and the lease did not termi- 














NORTON ST. PHILIPS. 


147 


nate until 1694. The beautiful Market cross lias long 
since disappeared. 

In this town was formerly held the most noted 
cloth fair in the west of England. The upper room 
of the George was appropriated as an exchange for 
the merchants resorting to it. This building, although 
much disfigured by yellow daubing, is one of the most 
interesting relics of the middle ages in this part of the 
country ; and we have no hesitation in saying, from the 
general appearance of its exterior—its massive portals, 
j its Gothic windows, overhanging upper stories, and 
inner gallery, leading to what once were bedchambers 
—that it was erected in the early portion of the fifteenth 
! century. At the angles of the roof are two beautiful 
campaniles, of richly decorated Gothic architecture. 
It is a pity this building should decay, for a little 
expense would restore it almost to its ancient state. 

Passing down a narrow lane, we come to the in¬ 
teresting and beautiful church, whose tower, seventy 
! feet high, containing a peal of six bells, resembling 
many of the Somerset churches in its general outline, 
differs from them in having a rare porch, of a square 
form, evidently built when the pure Perpendicular was 
beginning to be superseded by the Elorid, or Tudor 
Gothic. It has received but little injury, excepting 
from time, and will well repay a visit. Entering the 
church by the southern doorway, the first object that 
strikes us is the ancient poor’s-box, which, from its 
appearance, seems to have been set up in the reign of 
Henry VIII., soon after the promulgation of the 84th 













148 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


canon; for an act, passed in tlie twenty-seventh year 
j of his reign, directs that money collected for the use 
of the poor shall be kept in a box standing in the 
| parish church. 

In the south aisle there is a beautiful freestone altar- 
tomb of a lady, with her hands joined and uplifted in 
the usual devotional attitude; her feet, which have 
long pointed shoes, curiously enfold a dog, There is j 
no inscription nor tradition to guide us in our research ; 
but the style of the tomb is similar to the font, which 
is octagonal, having obliterated coats of arms, inter¬ 
spersed with figures, one of which represents the cruci¬ 
fixion. Armorial bearings on fonts, and effigies of 
knights and ladies, became common after the crusades. 
We therefore hazard the opinion that this is the tomb 
of the foundress of Hinton abbey—Ela, countess of 
Salisbury. 

The north and south aisles are crossed by elaborately- 
carved Gothic screens of wood. In the south aisle, 
near the nave, painted on the wall, is an inscription, 
in Latin and English, to the memory of Jeffery Elower. 
Near the communion-table, a small slab records the j 
resting-place of Edward Pigott, vicar of Norton, who 
died Jan. 10th, 1704, at the patriarchal age of 105. 
The chancel has been lately repaired by Mr. Manners, 
in accordance with the style of the building, and reflects 
credit on that gentleman’s taste. Near the communion 
table is a hollowed lavatory or piscina. 

In the centre aisle the sexton shewed us the effigies 
of the “twin ladies of Eoxcote,” relating a curious 


















NORTON ST. PHILIPS. 


149 


tradition, which we do not believe ; and those who wish 
to read a marvellous tale, will find it duly recorded in 
Collinson’s history. 

Philip’s Norton was the scene of the duke of Mon¬ 
mouth’s battle with the forces of king James II.; we 
abridge the particulars from Mr. Roberts’s history of 
“ The Life, Progresses, and Rebellion of James, Duke 
of Monmouth.” In the course of the momma; of 
the 26th of June, 1685, his army, having marched, 
during the night, from Iveynsham, where they had been 
attacked by a force under Major Oglethorpe, which 
prevented his design upon Bristol, Monmouth sent to 
summon the city of Bath to surrender; but his herald 
being killed, he drew off his forces toward Philip’s 
Norton, to which place he was followed by Lord 
Peversham. Although much alarmed during the night, 
they were not molested until the following morning, 
when, just as they were marching out of the town, 
they were attacked by the duke of Grafton with the 
advanced guard of the king’s army. There was, says 
Colonel Wade, a lane, a quarter of a mile long, which 
led out of a ploughed field into the town, the enclosures 
on either side having thick hedges. Monmouth, at the 
extremity of the lane, had a strong barricade formed, 
behind which he stationed fifty musketeers, the foot 
soldiers being encamped in two adjacent fields, near a 
bye-way through a gentleman’s grounds, which led to 
the back part of the town. The duke of Grafton led 
his grenadiers to the barricade, when they were attacked 
in flank by Monmouth’s own regiment, which filed 






150 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


through the gentleman’s grounds. The grenadiers 
escaped through the hedges ; while Grafton forced his 
v r ay, at the risk of his life, through Monmouth’s men. 
A party of the king’s horse lined a hedge, which 
flanked Monmouth’s army; and the fighting behind 
the hedges continued nearly an hour. At the head of 
Monmouth’s army, Colonel Holmes had an arm nearly 
shot off, and, unassisted, completed the amputation 
with a knife. The king’s army, having taken a posi¬ 
tion on an eminence, Monmouth placed two cannons 
at the mouth of the lane, and two on a rising ground, 
to the right, forming his army along the hedge. The 
firing, though continued for six hours, says Charles 
Fox, in his “ History of King James,” w 7 as so ineffec¬ 
tual, that Monmouth lost but one man, and the king’s 
forces w r ere unhurt. In the action the king’s army lost 
about eighty men, and retreated to Bradford, and 
Monmouth about eighteen. He kept the field until 
nearly midnight; when, in a miserable rainy night, up 
to their knees in mud, his army marched to Frome. 
Cannon balls, with human bones, are occasionally 
ploughed up in the battle-field. 

The population of this parish, which is in the Frome 
union, w r as 775, in 1841. Its average annual expen¬ 
diture for the poor only is £177. 


OTieHoim 

Returning from Philip’s Norton to Hinton, we leave 
the latter by the ancient British trackwav, called 

*■ 4/ ' 










WELLOW. 


- @ 

.151 

Ridgeway , which conducts to the interesting village of 
Mellow; and, passing along the highest table land 
in the county of Somerset, discloses to our view the 
most beautiful and varied scenery in the neighbourhood 
of Bath. No admirer of the picturesque can gaze on it 
unmoved. There is, indeed, neither the rock, nor fell, 
nor gushing torrent of mountain scenery, whose very 
beauty is its utter barrenness; nor the vine-clad hills 
of the noble Rhine, nor the meadow-bounded valley 
of the Thames. Here all is calmness and repose;— 
Nature smiling on her handy work, while man is en¬ 
gaged in making the earth embody the glories of its 
divine Creator;—a scene to which we would take the 
inhabitant of the far-west, boasting of his primeval 
forests, and gushing streams of mighty waters. This 
road, we would say, was made by the painted Britons; 
we will shew you the villas of their Roman conquerors, 
and the barrows, wherein repose the Danes and Saxons ; 
the church, built by the Norman, whither came the 
Papal power, between the feudalism of one race, and 
the serfdom of another; w T e would point out the hill 
up which Monmouth marched in civil war; and then, 
when his mind had grasped the immensity of ideas 
presented in these few lines, we would say, Stranger, 
from a distant country, though seas divide our native 
homes, this is the land of your forefathers, towards 
which your sons shall look with pride, when you and T, 
and all we prize, shall have sought our kindred dust! 

Delightful as this view is, description fails to convey 
its many beauties. Suffice it to say, it embraces the 



















152 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 




high grounds and villages which lie between the Monk- 
ton Parleigh beeches on the one side, and D uncairn-hill 
| on the other; Lansdown, with Beckford’s noble tower, 
forming the centre ; while richly-cultivated uplands, 
dotted with farms and copsewoods, diversify the more 
i immediate foreground. 

A pleasant walk of two miles brings us to the village. 
But Ave wish to proceed in rather a discursive manner. 
First, Ave shall commence with the ancient Druids; 
and then proceed until Ave come to the last noble work, 
the splendid restoration of its parish church. 

Pliny, in his 30th Book, informs us that Druidism, 
established in Britain, had spread to Persia; and Caesar, 
in his Commentaries, relates that those Avho Avished a 
more extensive knowledge of its mysteries, repaired to 
Britain for instruction. We have reason to believe that 
groves of trees formed the most ancient places of reli¬ 
gious worship ; for Abraham planted a grove in Beer- 
sheba, and called there “ on the name of the Lord.” 
The Druids derived their name from the Greek Avord 
Agvihc, and particularly delighted in groves of oak. 
Here, on the sixth day of the moon, they prepared a 
solemn feast, and leading thither tAVO Avliite bulls, avIio 
had never been bound to the plough, they Avere slain 
as a sacrifice to God; and it is singular that Herodotus 
mentions that perfectly white bulls Avere sacrificed to 
Apis, by the Egyptians; and to this day a white coav 
is an object of veneration with the Brahmins of India. 
At WelloAv there is an ancient village, bearing the name 
of White Ox Mead from the earliest known records ; 

©- — 




















WE L LOW. 


153 


I 


■ 




and when we observe the number of ancient British 
settlements which seem to have this for their centre, 
we are fairly led to conclude that this was the sacred 
grove of the ancient Britons, and did not derive its 
name, as Collinson supposes, “ from some Saxon lord.” 

At Stoney Littleton, in this parish, on the side of 
a sloping field, called Round Hill Tining, about three 
quarters of a mile south-west from Wellow church, Sir 
Bichard Colt Hoare opened a cist vaen, or sepulchre, 
in 1816, and in the 19th vol. of the Archseologia gave 
the following description of it:—“ This singular bury- 
ing-place is oblong, measuring 107 feet in length, 54 
in breadth, and 13 high. Its entrance faces the south¬ 
west. A large stone, supported by two others, forms the 
lintel, having an aperture four feet high, which leads to 
a chamber six feet long, five high, and five wide. From 
thence a straight passage conducts to another cist, of 
equal size. This passage is 47 feet from the entrance. 
There are, also, six other small chambers, or recesses, 
facing each other, so as to form three transepts, across 
the passage, and another at the extremity. The whole 
are formed of large stones, without tool marks, or 
appearance of cement. Each chamber might have con¬ 
tained three or four bodies.” Phelps, in his “ History 
of Somerset,” gives us a plate of its entrance. 

To reach it, we take a road in the centre of the 
village, which passes beneath the tramway, and across 
an ancient bridge of two arches, from whence we observe 
the mill, with its beautiful waterfall; then we cross a 
lloman earthwork, which has escaped antiquarian notice, 

















154 


VILLAGE KAMBLES. 


and continue the road until we are stopped by a field 
gate, through which we pass, and a clump of trees and 
underwood in a field on our right points out the Stoney 
Littleton cemetery. 

In a field, called Wellow Hayes, lying contiguous to 
the Bidgeway, half a mile from the village, several 
Boman tesselated pavements have been discovered. 
The first, in 1685, of which Gale gave an account in 
his edition of the “ Itinerary of Antoninus.” In 1737, 
they were again laid open, and Vertue published three 
beautiful plates of them, at the expense of the Society 
of Antiquaries. They were exposed at this time to 
j mischief, being apparently uncared for. In 1807 they 
were uncovered, when they attracted the notice of the 
Bev. Bichard Warner, who published an elaborate de¬ 
scription of them in his “ Guide to Bath.” In 1822, 
that laborious antiquary, the Bev. John Skinner, of 
Camerton, undertook their examination. He traced 
the foundations of a spacious villa, of a quadrangular 
form, with liypocausts, baths, freestone pinnacles, and 
! pavements, proving it to have been the residence of a 
man of fortune. 

Warner describes the villa to have been 100 feet 

i 

long, by 50 in breadth; the patterns tasteful, diversi¬ 
fied, and rich, forming a border somewhat resembling 
a modern floor-cloth ; while the centre contained alle¬ 
gorical figures and other ornaments, formed of square 
pieces, varying in size, from half an inch to nearly two 
inches. Lour colours and two varieties are seen ; blue, 
formed of the Weston lias ; white, from Newton ; red. 

















WELLOW. 


155 


formed of the Roman brick and pennant; purple, from 
St. Vincent’s rocks; and grey, by the pennant, or 
silicions sandstone, overlaying the coal. 

These tesserae were laid together, so as to form the 
intended pattern, and then each separate portion was 
carefully removed and embedded in cement on a foun¬ 
dation or substratum of stone. The execution, when 
viewed near, is generally coarse to a modern eye; but, 
seen at a distance, it presents a pleasing effect. “ The 
general execution,” says Warner, “ its richness, and 
spirit, forbid us to assign to it a later date than the 
second century of the Christian era.” A coin of 
Augustus Caesar (the discovery of which is very rare in 
Britain) was found, during the last summer, in Wellow; 
and shews that Mr. Warner’s opinion is, probably, 
correct. At the period of its discovery, three small 
and much-mutilated figures, sculptured on a slab of 
freestone, were also dug from the foundations of a wall. 

The Romans, like the moderns, were fond of country 
residences. The family occupied the rooms facing the 
south and west, while the domestics lived in those on 
the other sides; the whole opening upon a centre 
quadrangle, which was protected from the weather by 
a covering supported by pillars, and removable at plea¬ 
sure. The houses were warmed with flues of pottery, 
which were built in the walls and under the floors ; the 
communication was by means of an external passage, 
which occupied the interior of the quadrangle, and 
formed a promenade in unfavourable weather. 

This pavement was laid open in 1843, when the 












156 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


writer inspected it. It lias suffered more from mischief 
than from time; and it is a matter of regret that it has 
not been covered by a cottage, with a person appointed 
to shew it to the curious. Very few coins have been 
found here, and these principally of the lower empire. 

Tradition relates that this was a very considerable 
place in the Saxon and Danish periods of our history, 
and that it possessed many churches. At Wood- 
borough, during the last century, several stone coffins 
were found, such as we identify to have belonged to 
those nations; and there is a large barrow, or tumulus, 
at the extremity of the parish. This tradition appears 
supported by the fact that, in Edward the Confessor’s 
reign, this parish contained no less than seven manors, 
of the yearly value of £13. It is the largest parish 
in the Bath Union; contains 5,292 statute acres ; and 
its fertility may be estimated by the fact of its net 
rental being £7,544. Its average annual poor rates 
are now £307 ; while, before the formation of the 
Union, they were £451; and during the quarter ending 
Lady-day, 1846, only 53 paupers were relieved, on a 
purely agricultural population of 1,018, according to 
the census of 1841. 

Wellow church is a splendid specimen of the village 
church of the middle ages, and has many of the beau¬ 
tiful details of ancient ecclesiastical architecture. Its 
interior vividly pourtrays the state of the English 
churches prior to the Reformation. Its completion 
occupied several hundred years; and, after having pro¬ 
ceeded to dilapidation, threatening the fabric itself, it 












WELLOW. 


157 


lias, during the year 1845, undergone considerable 
restoration and improvements, reflecting much honour 
on the zeal of the Rev. Charles Paul, the vicar, and 
highly creditable to the skill of Mr. Benjamin Perry, 
under whose superintendence the repairs have been 
completed. 

Let us enter by the west door, and, ascending the 
gallery, take a glance at the interior of the building. 
Behind us is the great west window, formerly obscured 
by an unsightly screen, obstructing the light, and in¬ 
juring the effect intended to be produced, namely, the 
airy lightness of Gothic architecture, this light being 
rendered pleasant and appropriate by the introduction 
of stained glass— 

“ The dim religious light.” 

t This window—which has been restored at the vicar’s 
sole expense—is of the Perpendicular style, having 
three lights and a centre mullion, glazed with Powell’s 
patent glass, in quarries of a greenish hue, with antique 
patterns in their centres. It contains the arms of 
England, emblazoned in the ancient manner, with those 
of the see, the vicar, and the patron ; together with the 
armorial bearings of Colonels Gore Langton and Jol- 
liffe, Walter Long, M.P., and Mr. Wait. Above us, 
is the beautifully groined roof, supporting the belfry; 
below, the beautiful and unique open seats, elaborately 
carved, and terminated by poppy-head finials; above, 
the ancient black oak roof, profuse in ornament of the 
simplest and chastest character; before us, the carved 
















®-——--— ® 


158 VILLAGE KAMBLES. 

chancel screen, restored in accordance with the original 
design, with the handsomely carved reading desk, pan- 
neled with crimson cloth; while beyond, we see the 
/ chancel slightly inclined to the north-east, typical of 
the position of our Saviour’s head on the cross—a 
design common in our early churches. Descending, 
the first object of interest is the octagonal Norman 
font, with its decorated cover. It has a round shaft, 
divided into columns of the pure Anglo-Norman style. 
The font, being frequently the only relic of the first 
building, the age of the foundation is deduced from it. 
The patronage of this living was invested in the abbot 
and convent of Cirencester by king Henry I., in 1133, 
and to this period we assign the font. 

Sir Walter ITungerford rebuilt the church, in a great 
degree, in 1372; we differ from Collinson in his opi¬ 
nion that he was the original founder, llis tomb is 
shewn in his chapel, now called the ITungerford, or 
Lady chapel, from a beautiful Gothic canopy which 
formerly surmounted a statue of the Virgin in its 
north-eastern corner. The wall is frescoed with a re¬ 
presentation of Christ and his Apostles, with their 
appropriate emblems ; and this chapel contains various 
memorials of the Hungerford family, with a recessed 
monument of freestone, containing a recumbent full- 
dressed effigy of Mrs. Popham, who died in 1614, with 
several children below, two of whom lie swathed on 
small tombs. The epitaph sets forth her chastity and 
many virtues. The monument was painted in accord¬ 
ance with the custom of the period, but it has been 


I 


! 


! 




I 


I 




(2) 













WELLOW. 


159 


cleaned; and, although utterly out of character with 
the rest of the building, produces a pleasing effect. 

There is a remarkably fine Nonnan piscina, of a 
similar form to the font, at an angle in the eastern wall, 
of the chancel, having a circular trefoiled fenestrella. 
Near its base, coins of Edward II. were discovered 
during the restoration of the church. The lay impro¬ 
priators rebuilt the chancel. On its north side the 
vicar caused a recess to be formed, strictly in accordance 
with ancient models, for the reception of the exquisite 
effigy of an ecclesiastic, discovered, unmutilated, during 
the repairs, the only known figure possessing the incised 
Maltese cross on the forehead. The robes are grace- | 
fully disposed, and elaborated with. great skill; the 
attitude is devotional; the countenance placid and 
resigned; on the breast is a chalice, and the feet are 
supported by a dog. The east window consists of a 
circular head, with three trefoils and three lights, and 
is plainly glazed with cathedral glass. The north and 
south windows have been repaired. The chancel is the 
only portion of the church in which the pews have 
been retained; they are incongruous and misplaced, 
and interfere with the beauty of the vista. 

Erom the chancel we obtain the full and pleasing 
effect of the west window, and pause to admire the 
pointed arch between the tower and nave; and Beau¬ 
mont and Fletcher’s lines supply us with its antitype : 

“- ’tis the key-stone 

That makes the arch; the rest that be there put 
Are nothing, till that comes to bind and shut. 
















160 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Then stands it a triumphal mark, that men 
Observe the strength, the height, the why, the when 
It was erected, and, still walking under, 

Meet some new matter to look up and wonder!” 

There are other piscinae in the church, remarkable 
for containing the small shelf, or credence table, within 
the fenestrella. The organ has been placed in the 
Hungerford chapel, which serves as a vestry-room. 
By the alteration, about eighty additional seats were 
obtained. 

The church, externally, has a pleasing aspect. Its 
tower rises 100 feet, and one of its turrets contains a 
staircase. It is of the Perpendicular style, and was 
finished in the reign of Henry VII. The southern 
porch is surmounted by an elaborate canopy, once con¬ 
taining, in all probability, the patron saint, Julian, near 
which is the stair turret of the ancient rood loft. 

It is much to be regretted that the expenses of the 
restoration have not yet been defrayed ; they amounted 
in the aggregate to <£800, for which the vicar made 
himself responsible, exclusive of £100 granted by the 
parish for essential repairs. Of this sum, £500 has 
been raised by private subscription. We sincerely trust 
that every lover of ancient and beautiful ecclesiastical 
architecture will do something to defray the moderate 
cost of this noble work. We have seen two beautifully 
executed views of the interior and exterior of this fine 
old structure, highly creditable to Mr. Wheatley, the 
artist, which have been admirably lithographed by 
Messrs. Day and Son. These have been published by 











DUNKERTON. 


161 




Mr. Pocock, Bridge-street, to defray tlie balance of 
j the expenses incurred in the restoration. 

Near the church, is the old manor house of the 
Hungerford’s, now a farm. Here, by the kindness of 
the tenant, we were shewn a beautifully-carved mantel¬ 
piece, which has escaped destruction, both from paint 
and mischief; the armorial bearings and grotesque 
figures are as sharp as when they left the carver. The I 
back gate has the date 1634; but, from the general 
appearance of the mansion, we are inclined to believe 
this refers only to repairs. 

In a cottage garden, is the holy well of St. Julian, 
from which was wont to be taken the water for baptism. 

A legend, too, it has, how that a white figure appeared 
at midnight on that saint’s day, mourning by the | 
crystal stream,—of evil omen to the house of Hun- 
gerford, since whose extinction the ghostly visitant 
remains unseen; and, excepting in the traditions of 
the vale, the “ white ladye” and the legend are alike 
forgotten. 

I must not omit to mention that the pedestrian 1 
will find an excellent cup of tea at the celebrated 


Eosary and Strawberry garden of Mr. Cole. 



IBuniurtmi 

Lies two miles westward of Wellow, and is interesting 
to the writer as having been one of twenty manors in 
Somerset bestowed on his ancestor by the Conqueror, 
in requital of his services at the battle of Hastings. 

M I 

®-—-© 














© 


© 


162 TILLAGE RAMBLES. 

He, when tvro Norman barons had declined to bear 
the standard, boldly accepted the honourable office; 
in remembrance of which service, the family still bear 
the Gallic cock, crowing cc Droit ”— -forwards, as their 
crest, and their arms are encircled by the Conqueror’s 
own watchword, “ God is my help .” A portrait of 
him, from the Bayeux tapestry, is given in Knight’s 
“ Pictorial History of England.” His brother (after¬ 
wards the celebrated Archbishop Tlmrstan) was the 
first Norman abbot of Glastonbury ; and his signature 
occurs as a witness to the sale of the bishopric of 
Bath to John of Tours. William, of Malmesbury, tells 
us that, wishing to introduce a favourite liturgy in his 
abbey—no uniformity having been previously observed 
in public worship—he entered the church with an armed 
band, and a desperate conflict ensued, the result of 
which was, that Oswald, bishop of Salisbury, composed 
a church service that became universal throughout the 
kingdom; and it is not a little singular that Cuthbert 
Tunstall, bishop of London, in the reign of Henry YIII., 
the friend of Erasmus, and one of the most learned 
men of his day, should have seen this liturgy superseded 
by the reformed one, for declining to use which he was 
twice deprived of his bishopric. 

The manor of Dunkerton, in the reign of Edward 
III., came by marriage into the possession of the 
Bampfylde family, who are still the owners. Its 
church, a neat building, contains nothing remarkable, 
except the following epitaph, recording the death of 
the Bev. John Dickes, rector of the parish, who died 
in 1634 :— 

© - © 

















CAME11T0N. 


163 


“ Hie, hsec, hoc, hujus, huic, hunc, bonus, optima, elarum, 
Fulgor, Fama, Decus, vestit, adhoeret, erit. 

Mente, anima, oh! requiem vivens AI0EKAET02 ille 
Carpsit honore sacro; jam super astra manet.” 

This sentence (a grammatical puzzle) I thus translate, 

Good renown clothed him ; best fame adhered ; 

Unspotted will be his credit. Both in mind and soul 
Living he was God’s friend ; in sacred honour 
Rest he obtained, and lives above the stars. 

This parish is four miles from Bath, on the old 
Roman fosse-way, deriving its name from the British 
Dun Cairn —monument-hill. It is in the Bath Union, 
and hundred of Wellow ; in 1841, its population was 
971, on an area of 1,233 statute acres, paying a net 
rental of £2,284. Its poor-rates were £196 before the 
union was formed, and they now average £153. It 
contains many valuable coal-pits. 

Two miles further on we come to the ancient Cama- 
lodanum, now 

(ftamertan. 

Celebrated for its coal. In the year 1814, three 
Roman villas were discovered here, with twentv-six 

J V 

silver coins of Honorius, Arcadius, and others of the 
lower empire. The Rev. John Skinner, the indefati¬ 
gable antiquary, was rector of this parish. He wrote 
a valuable memoir, to prove “ that this district was 
actually attached to the regal residence of Cynobelin, 
spoken of by Dion, taken from him by Claudius ; and 
the spot occupied by the colony established by Ostorius, 











164 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


at Camalodunum.” Phelps, in his history, gives this 
learned and interesting document, illustrated with a 
map of the district. 

The church is a handsome Gothic edifice, dedicated 
to St. Peter, consisting of a beautiful tower, nave, 
chancel, and a chapel remarkable for the elaborate tombs 
of the Carews, which range from 1640 to 1750. 

The parish is in the Clutton Union, and hundred of 
Wellow: contained a population of 1,501 at the last 
census. In 1839, its poor-rates were £209 ; and in 
the Lady-day quarter of 1846, £78 were paid for 
that purpose. 


Unman 

It is our intention now to compile a brief description 
of the course of this ancient Homan road through the 
Bath district. According to Borlase, Davidson, and 
other antiquaries, it was originally a British road from 
the Humber to Axmouth, in Devonshire, adopted by 
the Eomans. It passed through Cunelio, now Ciren¬ 
cester; Aquce Solis, Bath ; Camalodunum, Camerton ; 
Ischalis, Ilchester ; and I sea, Exeter. We find it 
entering Somerset six miles from Bath, at the three 
shire stones at Colerne. Passing over Banagli down 
to Batheaston, it joins the Via Badonica, the Homan 
road from Bath to Marlborough; parting with it at 
W alcot, the one becomes the Via Julia, and passes up 
Guinea-lane, while the other continues its course to the 
north gate. Traversing the city, it crosses the Avon, 





















ODD DOWN. 165 

and passes up Holloway direct to the Burnt-House 
gate, where it crosses the Wansdyke. At this spot, in 
1823, three skeletons were discovered. It is then lost 
in the new road for half a mile, in which portion of its 
course we obtain a most beautiful view. Leaving the 
high road, it proceeds straight down to Dunkerton 
bridge, running along a high ridge of land between 
Wellow and Camerton to Radstock, another coal village, 
a mile from whence it is lost in the high road. Its 
name is preserved in the village of Stratton-on-the- 
Fosse. “ There can be no doubt,” says Phelps, “ of the 
British origin of these roads, the many barrows found 
on their lines tend to corroborate this opinion ; although 
the lapse of ages, enclosures, and the little regard taken 
of them, excepting where they were adopted by the 
Homans, have greatly obliterated them.” 

To those who wish a nearer route from Wellow, 
there is not a more delightful country walk than that 
through Combehay park up Fortnight hill, whose three 
farms, Week, Fortnight, and Three Hays, are a puzzle 
to the lovers of tradition. Passing the once celebrated 
Fortnight school, we arrive at the top of the hill, and 
resting beneath the trees, we scan the beautiful and 
varied sylvan view; thence to Odd down, where the 
Bath Union workhouse is situated—a building erected 
with a due regard to the health of its inmates, whose 
general arrangements for comfort and cleanliness form 
a striking contrast to many. Here poverty is treated 
as a misfortune, and not as a crime; and its whole 
management reflects credit on all concerned in the ad- 









166 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


ministration of the poor laws. But its greatest object 
of interest is the chapel, built for public worship by 
the inmates alone, which must strike every beholder 
with wonder, not unmixed with a feeling of veneration 
of the sublimest nature. The annals of all Christian 
countries contain imperishable records of the pious deeds 
of those to whom much of this world’s goods are given 
—our own land is especially favoured in this respect; 
but here we see a building where every stone was laid 
by a pauper, “ whose days had dwindled to the shortest 
span,” with the snow of nearly eighty winters on his 
brow, working early and late at his holy task ;—a 
pauper—yet, with unquenched spirit and untiling 
energy, cheering on his fellows in their daily toil, 
proving to them how much might be accomplished, 
even in a workhouse, by steady perseverance. Honour, 
then, to thee, John Plass ! thou hast gained for thyself 
a niche in the temple of human fame ;—pauper as 
thou art, may thy bright example stimulate all who 
belong to the family of man, steadily to do their duty 
in their appointed station, wherein each and all have 
both opportunity and power to add to the comforts of 
each other, and, at the same time, imperceptibly to 
themselves, materially increase their own happiness ! 

How strange it is that every good should have its 
accompanying evil ! that, from the contemplation of 
virtue, we should have vice thrust upon us ! Odd 
down was, in September, 1748, the scene of the gib¬ 
beting of Richard Biggs, for the murder of his wife. 
So frightful an object was it, that the body was stolen 








BEREWYKE CAMP. 


-<§) 

167 | 

during the night, and thrown into the Avon. It was, 
although taken down in January, not discovered until ! 
June, when, after lying three or four days at Twerton, 
it was buried. A tale was written on the event, called 
“ A Legend of Sham Castle.” It appears that he was 
actuated by jealousy, in consequence of a man display¬ 
ing his wife’s garter in a joke. The principal evidence 
against him was his own son, a lad eleven years old. 

During the last century there was a glass house on 
the down, which, not having been used for some time, 
became ruinous, and fell in the month of January, 
1764, crushing several waggons, which the neighbours ( 
kept there. 

A little above Cottage-crescent we pass a deserted 
quarry, from which, as tradition relates, the stone was 
dug for building Bath Abbey. 


23erciui)Le damp 

Occupies the projecting point of land opposite Cottage 
crescent, between the old and new roads to Wells. Its 
remains are very perfect. Its outer agger, with the 
ditch, may still be traced; its earthworks and barrows 
being uninjured both by time and rural operations, 
render it one of the most perfect remains in the 
neighbourhood. Its position commands both vales; 
and it has an uninterrupted view of the British camps 
on Solsbury hill, Hampton, and Lansdown, English- 
combe barrow, Kelston, and the beacon on Mendip. j 
It is allowed by all who have written on the subject 


© 











1G8 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


to have been originally a Belgic-British town, after¬ 
wards converted into a Roman outpost. 

“ Near the Wans dyke,” says Collinson, “ on the 
western part of Lyncombe, is a lofty eminence, called 
the Barracks, on which are several tumuli. Beneath 
stood the ancient village of Berewyke, where, according 
to tradition, there was formerly a church, the tithes of 
which belonged to the vicar of St. Mary de Stall, in 
Bath.” Rinding no record of this village as a separate 
manor, we are of opinion that the church here spoken 
of, was one of the road-side chantrey chapels, erected 
for the convenience of pilgrims, journeying to or from 
the shrine of St. Joseph, of Arimatliea, at Glastonbury, 
i which, in Romish times, drew great concourses of 
people, for whom the church provided “ hostels,” or 
hospitals, where they were kindly entertained. To each 
of these a chapel was attached. On their departure, 
j the rich gave a sum of money, then called a “ dole;” 
while the poor man proceeded without aught being 
demanded for his entertainment. 


Unucomhe. 

“ Oh, the charming parties made ! 

Some to walk the North Parade; 

Some to Lyncombe’s shady groves, 

Or to Simpson’s proud alcoves.” 

Anstey. 

A little below Berewyke camp, we cross the new 
Wells-road, and, coming to Green way-lane turnpike- 
gate, we descend, by the field, to the celebrated vale of 














LYNCOMBE. 


169 


Lyncombe, at the bottom of which, near the brook, 
tradition points out a heap of stones, now covered with 
green herbage, as the site of its old church. 

That a church existed there we have no doubt ; 
for, at the Concpiest, Widcombe belonged to the king, 
while Lyncombe was the property of the Bath Abbey. 
In 1292, its revenues were rated at £8 17s. 6<L In 
1236, it was given, with Widcombe and Berewyke, to 
the vicarage of St. Mary de Stall, in Bath. xYt the 
Reformation, the manors of Lyncombe and Widcombe 
were bestowed on Lord Russell, the ancestor of the 
present duke of Bedford. He alienated them to the 
family of Biss. In 1638, Hugh Saxey, the founder of 
the hospital and school at Bruton, conveyed this manor 
to that establishment, and ordained that the parish 
should have the right to send two free scholars to be 
educated there. Hugh Saxey is said, by steady perse¬ 
verance and meritorious conduct, to have raised himself 
from the condition of a stable boy to the high and 
honourable post of auditor to cpieen Elizabeth. All 
that he gained, he bestowed on the poor of his native 
town. The hospital receives ten women, eight men, 
and twelve boys; the latter are kept until 14 years 
old, and then apprenticed. 

Before we proceed along the vale, we must notice 
that the field, at the end of the pathway round Entry- 
liill, discloses to our view a prospect of an unique and 
beautiful character—all the Bath hills, with the vale 
towards Bristol, the city being hid from view by the 
risinsr £rrounds on the southern side of the Avon. This 












170 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


pathway conducts to Fox-hill, from which there is 
a romantic and pleasant road from Combe down to 
Perry-mead and Widcombe church. 

“ Lyncombe,” says Britton, in his notes to the “ New 
Bath Guide,” “is a romantic narrow valley, which, in 
Anstey’s time, was a rural shady walk. Now,” says 
he, “ it has changed its features; and if not villified, is 
villa-fied by a profusion of cottage ornees, mansions, 
gardens, &c. : and, although many of the vallies in the 
vicinity of the city abound w T itli secluded and romantic 
beauties, that of Lyncombe is pre-eminent.” With 
due deference to the learned annotator, I beg to differ 
from him. The vale of Lyncombe has not changed : 
it is still beautiful; and Lyncombe-hill, another delight- 
fid walk by which it may be approached, presents, at 
every opening, unsurpassed views, of which may be 
noticed that just within the gate of the Nursery ground, 
or of De Montalt cottage. 

In Anstey’s time, the vale boasted of two places of 
public resort—the Bagatelle gardens, and king James’s 
palace, so called from a tradition that he concealed 
himself there, after he abdicated the throne. 

Wood gives us an amusing account of the discovery 
of a mineral spring in Lyncombe, in the year 1737, 
and the causes of its failure. “ The discovery of the 
Lyncombe spa,” says he, “ was owing to the following 
accident:—Mr. Charles Milsom, a cooper, in Bath, 
having, with four others, rented an old fishpond for 
twenty shillings a year, and there being leaks in the 
pond, he, in June, 1737, searched the ground at the 






















© 


LYNCOMBE. 171 

liead of it, in order to stop the chinks, at which time 
he perceived a void piece of ground, which as he 
approached, shook, and looked much like the spawn 
of toads. This, upon examination, he found to be 
glutinous, of a strong sulphureous smell, and the 
colour of ochre. This he removed with a shovel, and 
perceived several little springs boil up, emitting a black 
sand, which dried and turned grey. The other part of 
the soil was white. These things, and the taste of the 
water, convinced him that he had made a discovery, and 
the next thing was to make it known. He forthwith 
adopts the title of “ Doctor,” and invites several of his 
neighbours, with their wives, to a party at the fishpond, 
and, making a bowl of punch from the water, he 
frightened his guests by turning the brandy a purple 
colour, which, they refusing to drink, he explained the 
circumstance to their satisfaction, when the punch was 
drank,” as Wood says, “ with no little mirth and 
jollity.” The next year, one Dr. Hillary made a more 
particular enquiry, and induced the proprietor of the 
land to join him in the erection of a lofty edifice over 
the fountain, at an expense of £1,500; “but, alas!” 
says Wood, “ the ground was -weakened, so that the 
building destroyed the spring. And if Dr. Hillary had 
not taken on himself more of the architect than the 
physician in this work, Lyncombe spa had undoubtedly 
remained a fructile spring to the proprietors, to the 
great advantage of mankind in general.” 

Passing round the corner by the mill, a short walk 
conducts us to the manor house, and pretty ivy-covered 


© 










VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


© - 

172 

village elmrcli of Widcombe. Seating ourselves on a 
projecting stone beneath tlie tower, we pause to look 
upon the beautiful view presented to us. Before us, 
on a natural terrace sloping down almost to our feet, 
is Prior park; amidst the trees, on our right, we see 
the Cemetery chapel, from this spot a pleasing object; 
behind us, the hanging woods of Crow-liall. 

This church was erected by prior Birde, and is dedi¬ 
cated to St. Thomas a Becket. Its west window is a 
fine example of the Perpendicular style. Its interior 
has been so altered, to suit the requirements of an 
increasing congregation, that but little of its ancient 
character remains. It has two burial grounds, divided 
by the lane which leads to the Monument field, passing 
the Strawberry gardens. Our readers may remember 
that, during the last year, some beautiful lines appeared 
in reference to a broken column in the churchyard, 
bearing the w T ord “ Annette’ as its sole epitaph. 
There is also a monumental stone, belonging to the 
family of Mount, copied from the early models, bearing 
the florid Norman cross, with an epitaph in the ancient 
English character. 

Passing along Widcombe crescent, (built at the 
termination of the row of houses which forms the 
ancient village), we descend the hill to the beautiful 
new church of St. Matthew, designed by Mr. Manners. 
Its elegant broach spire, rising to an altitude of 75 
feet above the square tower, 85 feet high, is graceful 
and pleasing, presenting a grand point of view from 
the opposite eminences, and admirably contrasting with 

© -- 











BEECHEN CLIFF. 


173 


tlie other churches. The body is divided into a nave 
and side aisles; it is 100 feet long by 65 wide. The 
aisles continue the whole length, and are separated 
from the chancel by parcloses ; its roof is gabled in 
three divisions, which produces a light and pleasing 
effect. Its style is decorated; its estimated expense 
£6,000, of which £550 have been contributed by the 
Diocesan society. It contains 1,250 sittings, of which 
790 are free and unappropriated. Who has stood in 
the road below, looking at the masons plying their 
busy tools, without re-echoing Wordsworth’s beautiful 
lines, if not in words, at least in spirit:— 

“ Watching, with upward eye, the tall tower grow, 

And mount, at ev’ry step, with living wiles 
Instinct; to rouse the heart and lead the will, 

By a bright ladder, to the world above !” 

This parish has greatly increased in population during 
the present century. In 1801, it contained 2,790 souls ; 
at present, there are nearly 10,000 inhabitants. Its 
area is 1,846 statute acres. Its poor’s rates, which, 
before the union, were £2,018, are now reduced to 
£1,611, on a net rental of £26,756. It is included 
in the city and borough of Bath by the Reform bill. 


$]5m!)en (Cliff* 

Beeciien Cliff, or Bleak Leigh, towers four hundred 
feet above the beautiful “meander Avon,” as Henry 
Chapman calls it. Its most picturesque ascent is by 

















174 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

the lane behind Pope’s villa, at the bettom of Lyn- 
combe-hill 

Let us ascend, for the glorious prospect above, and 
the run over as smooth a turf as ever delighted a 
pedestrian, will amply repay the trouble of a toilsome 
climb to all who have health and spirits for the exqui¬ 
site enjoyment it affords. 

No picture can convey its beauties. The one pub¬ 
lished by Mr. Everitt, last year, gives us a beautiful 
and correct view of the city : and Harvey Wood’s 
panoramic views display much taste and judgment. 
From its summit we have the following objects in 
succession :—First, the whole city, with its palatial 
crescents, its beautiful churches, and its many streets 
rising from the river to Lansdown; then Grosvenor- 
place, with the noble hills of Solsbury and Hampton ; 
next, Sham castle, Claverton-road, and Bath wick-hill, 
with the river, as it were, stealthily creeping through 
the valley, along which the railroad forces its iron track, 
the canal diversifying the prospect, as though it were 
but introduced to add new beauties to the scene. A 
few steps onward, we look upon fair Widcombe’s ivied 
tower, Crow-hall, Combe down, and Prior park, the 
Cemetery, and Warner’s pretty cottage, wherein he 
wrote his “ History of Bath.” Englishcombe barrow 
rises further on, and Berewyke camp, and Cottage- 
crescent ; and then we have the lovely valley, Twerton, 
and the Weston villas, with Kelston round-hill, and 
Lansdown. Below, the railroad, with its trains bearing 
some to happiness, and some to misery; the city, with 

© --- 













MAGDALEN CHAPEL. 


- © 

175 

its unvaried toil audbusy round of pleasure; tliePark, 
wherein the invalid, with careful step, creeps on, amidst 
the happy laugh of helpless innocence;—all around 
presenting to our view strange yet harmonious con¬ 
trasts, wherein each and every object seems, as it were, 
to add to the great design, and make the scene both 
picturesque and beautiful. 

Prom Beechen cliff, a walk along its ridge conducts 
us to Holloway, or, as it was formerly called, Haul 
down, a portion of the Roman fosse-way. Here we 
have St. Magdalen’s chapel and hospital. 

It was by this route that Leland came to Bath. 

“ I came down,” says he, “ a. rocky hill, full of fail- 
springs of water; and on this rocky hill is set a fair 
street, as a suburb to the city, and in this street is a 
chapel of St. Mary Magdalen.” This house and chapel 
were given to the Abbey of Bath in the reign of Henry 
I., by Walter Hosate, on condition that the chapel 
should be thoroughly repaired ; and Tanner, in his 
“ Notitia Monastica ,” tells us that, in 1332, an indul¬ 
gence of twenty days was granted to the benefactors 
of the hospital. Prior Cantlow rebuilt the chapel in 
1495. On the east side of the porch is the folio wing- 
inscription :— 

©fjrs.djapcll.flori)sd)i}& tut.fovmosptr.specta6pll. 
Jn.tf)e.f)onob3vr.of im.BftagDalrn.prtor.eantlo^.ljatfj.rtrpfn&r. 
Degpring.pobj.to.prap.for.fjim.tot.joSDre.prgrrs.iirlettatjgU. 

The meaning of the first line is, that it was orna¬ 
mented with beautiful designs. 


© 














176 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


This chapel is of the Perpendicular style, 46 feet 
long, and 14 wide ; and at the west end is a small 
embattled tower, with one bell. There is every reason 
to believe that, prior to the Reformation, it was extra 
parochial, and served by a monk, appointed for the 
purpose. Near it, on the 3rd of May, is held Rood- 
mas fair. 

In the east window is some good stained glass: the 
Virgin and Child, prior Cantlow, St. Bartholomew, and 
Mary Magdalen. On either side of the nave is a 
perpendicular canopied niche, and another near the 
chancel. This building has been several tunes suffered 
to dilapidate. It was repaired in 1760, when it was 
fitted up for divine service. In 1823, after long neg¬ 
lect, it was again restored ; but closed again in 1833, 
and not opened until 1837, when the Rev. John Allen 
having been appointed master, service has been since 
regularly performed. 

Of the hospital Wood speaks thus :—“ It is a poor 
cottage for the reception of idiots; but there are few 
maintained therein, the nurse’s stipend, for the support 
of herself and the objects of her care, being but <£15 
per annum. Whoever,” he continues, “ enters it, will 
see enough to cure his pride, and excite his gratitude 
for the blessings he enjoys.” It was rebuilt in 1761, 
and one idiot is maintained in it. The mastership is 
in the gift of the crown. 

It may not be amiss to notice the peculiarity of the 
construction of the station of the Great Western rail¬ 
way, since it evidences the skill of Mr. Brunei in 


















_ 


_ 











































THE RAILWAY STATION. 


177 


causing every object connected with it to add to the 
beauty of the natural scenery ; indeed, in passing from 
Holloway to the bridge, we can almost recal Leland’s 
description of the tower which protected its approach. 
Let us, then, walk over it, and, turning down Dor- 
chester-street, proceed to the station. 

What a great improvement would it be, in the 
approach to Queen-square from the railway, if St. 
James’s-parade—now reduced from having been one of 
the most aristocratic portions of the old city to a row 
of tenements—were to have its posts removed, and the 
road continued through it, which would make a broad 
and continuous approach through Westgate-buildings 
in a straight line to Queen-square, relieve Southgate- 
street of its crowded traffic, and, at the same time, 
much improve the property in its neighbourhood. 
The architecture of the Bath station is later Tudor, or 
Elizabethan, with debased perpendicular windows, and 
Komanesque ornaments. Its arrangements occupy but 
small space, yet everything connected with it appears 
in its right place. Its staircases are noble; and every 
proceeding is conducted with an astonishing degree of 
celerity and order. Its most remarkable feature is its 
roof, which is of sixty feet span, without tie or buttress, 
the principal timbers, or ribs, being the long arms of 
a series of cranes, of which the side pieces form the 
uprights. But the bell rings for the express train ; 
“ Bath ! Bath ! ” shout the porters. Passengers get out, 
and their luggage lies before them; the gate is unlocked, 
and, before we can look around, new passengers have 


N 

















17S 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


taken tlieir seats, the whistle blows, and they are off 
again ! 

Let us descend. The Quay is a curious sight, with 
its dilapidated houses on the opposite bank looking, in 
their dinginess, like a bit of ancient Lome. Avon- 
street, with its beautiful ceilings and noble staircases, 
is now the dwelling of the poor, where idlers from 
necessity congregate in most picturesque groups at open 
doors, where formerly powdered footmen waited; and 
thence we come to Kingsmead-square, in whose west¬ 
ern corner we see the elegant mansion of the Chapman 
family, converted into three houses, let in tenements; 
and beyond, the house, 13, New King-street, in which 
Herschell first made those observations which subse¬ 
quently led to the discovery of the Georgium Sidus. 
One evening, as he and Palmer, the architect, were 
talking at the door, he pointed out the planet to the 
latter as a star not depicted on the charts. 

The Wesleyan chapel, in New King-street, of which 
John Wesley laid the first stone in 1780, has been 
re-edified during the year 1 847, in the Decorated Gothic 
of the fourteenth century, after a design of Mr. Wilson. 
It is a beautiful building, presenting an elegant facade 
to the street, its front being ornamented with pinnacles j 
and enriched with a window of a chaste design. Its 
interior is fitted with open seats, a stone pulpit, behind 
which is a recess forming an organ gallery, and on either 
side a stained glass window, while light is admitted to 
the body of the building by an arrangement of quatre- 
foil windows in the clerestory. This design shews the 























HETLING HOUSE. 


179 


great improvement in popular taste—dissenting places 
of worship which, a few years since, were built in almost 
barn-like simplicity, now vicing, in beauty of decoration 
and chasteness of ornament, with those of the esta¬ 
blished church. 

Behind the south side of Ivingsmead-street stands 
Trinity church, an elegant building, erected in the year 
1820, for the accommodation of the poor of the neigh¬ 
bourhood. 

Bath possesses but one relic of the domestic architec¬ 
ture of our ancestors, and this is of so late a date as 
the reign of queen Elizabeth, in whose time Sir Walter 
Hungerford, of Farley, is said to have built himself a 
town house overlooking the western Borough-walls. 
This mansion (since called Hetling-liouse) is built on 
a portion of land belonging to St. John’s Hospital, 
near the Hot bath, and is now in the possession of Mr. 
Edward Davis, who has given a drawing and descrip¬ 
tion of its chimney-piece in the “Builder,” No. 150. 

To this mansion was attached a postern gate; and by 
means of a subterranean passage, now choked up, access 
was had to the gardens and pleasure grounds without 
the city walls. 

In 1643, Sir Edward Hungerford, the “ spend¬ 
thrift,” garrisoned it with the retainers of the king’s 
party, the large upper apartment forming a barrack 
room. Many tobacco pipes, with E. H. on the stems, 
are still dug up in the city ditch near the old postern. 

In 1694 it was the property of Lord Lexington, who 
gave it to Mrs. Savil, in lieu of a legacy of J100. 












© 




180 


VILLAGE RAMBLES 


She marrying Mr. Skrine, an apothecary, the house was 
called Skrine’s lower house. In 1746, the princess 
Caroline, with her sister the princess of Hesse, occupied 
it as their lodgings. 

In 1777, Mr. Edward Rack (a gentleman of great 
literary and scientific attainments, who greatly assisted 
Collinson in his “ History of Somerset”) propounded 
a plan for the formation of a society for the encourage¬ 
ment of agriculture, arts, manufactures, and commerce. 
This society (now called the Bath and West of England 
Society) was the first established for that purpose. 
It still continues its career of usefulness, with many 
competitors, but no ecpial; and Hetling-house, formerly 
the abode of noisy soldiers and drunken cavaliers, has 
a Temperance society below, and from its large room 
above transmits information and instruction calculated 
to benefit and improve the kingdom at large. 

The chimney-piece is a fine specimen of the orna¬ 
mental Elizabethan style, chaste, yet splendid in its 
decorations, and pure in its detail. On the walls are 
suspended portraits and memorials of various members 
of the Agricultural society. 



3Enton Stmt 


The approach to the old city from the fashionable 
part of Bath was, until the commencement of the pre¬ 
sent century, very bad, for Union-street was not then 
laid out. It will be necessary for us to suppose a per- 


© 



























THE BEAU INN. 


181 


son, residing in Queen-square, to be desirous of going 
to the baths. Within the last thirty years Quiet-street 
was almost overshadowed with trees, forming; a rookerv. 
Through this he would pass to Old Bond-street, which 
was clean enough ; but Barton-street was narrow, and 
unpaved. By the side of the Bath hospital, he would 
be arrested by two curious old red gates, having a 
wicket for foot-passengers. Entering, he would find 
himself in a long stable yard, through which, beau as 
he is, he would pick his dainty steps, and walk through 
the passage of an old-fashioned hostelry—IScar. 
Thoughts of Anstey and Smollett would come upon him, 
and he would repair to the library for Humphrey Clinker 
and the New Bath Guide. 

During the last century, the Bear was the principal 
inn; so, of course, Anstey’s hero arrives there. 

“ And sure you’ll rejoice, my dear mother, to hear, 

We are safely arrived at the sign of the Bear; 

What though at Devizes I fed pretty hearty, 

And made a good meal, like the rest of the party, 

When I came here to Bath not a bit could I eat, 

Though the man at the Bear had provided a treat.” 

Thus far Simpkin Blunderhead. Matthew Bramble 
thus describes it:—“ The communication to the baths 
is through the yard of an inn, where the poor trembling 
valetudinarian is carried in a chair betwixt the heels of 
double rows of horses, wincing under the curry-combs 
of grooms and postillions, over and above the hazard of 
being obstructed, or overturned, by the carriages, which 
are continually making their exits or entrances.” 















182 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


But we liave not yet done with our friend. On his 
next visit betakes another route, picking his way through 
Frog-lane, a narrow, miry passage, from Milsom-street 
to Broad-street. He reaches Lock’s-lane, where the 
houses were so old, and overhung so much, that persons 
shook hands from opposite windows, and the place was 
so dark that he could scarcely pick his way; so that, 
on his third visit, he would prefer the route by Green- 
street to Broad-street, and Wade’s-passage would lead 
him to the baths. 

In the year 1800, the Corporation set themselves to 
the work of improvement. Union-street displaced the 
Bear-yard, Marchant’s-court gave way to Northumber- 
land-passage, Frog-lane to New Bond-street, Lock’s- 
lane to Union-passage, while other improvements were 
the steady result of public and private enterprize ; 
among others, the Corridor, leading from Union-street 
to the Guildhall, erected by Mr. Goodridge in 1825 ; 
so that the city increased in extent, attraction, and con¬ 
venience, until it became second to none in the united 
kingdom. 

The Upper Borough-walls, on which are the General 
hospital, the Commercial and Literary institution, and 
the Charity school, which latter building was founded 
in 1712, by Bobert Nelson, for the clothing, education, 
and apprenticeship, of the children of the poor members 
of the church of England, leads us to the Saw close, 
noAv used as a coal and hay market, the box entrance 
to the Theatre, and the house in which Beau Nash 
lived. 























< 9 >---—-@ 

I 

BEAU NASH. 183 | 

Among the many persons of note who flourished 
during the eighteenth century, none produced so great 
and well-directed an influence on the manners and ! 
customs of the higher classes as Beau Nash, the titular 
king of Bath. Previously to his rule, society had been, 
on the one hand, baronial and haughty, and on the 
other, cringing and servile. Nash threw down the 
barrier to friendly intercourse that feudalism had esta¬ 
blished, and proved that the English gentleman was the 
highest title of honour, and that, unless the noble could 
prove his right to this enviable distinction, he had no 
claim to public respect. 

Nash, having had a university education, purchased 
a pair of colours ; but the subordination of a military 
life possessing no charms for one of his gay and volatile 
disposition, he resigned his commission, and entered 
the Temple, where his talents for conducting court 
revels induced king William to offer him knighthood, 
an honour he had the good sense to decline. At 
this period the Inns of Court were a common resort for 
men of independence and fashion, and Nash became 
the indolent gambler; yet it is clear that, amidst the 
strange inconsistencies of his character, ambition com¬ 
bined with strong good sense, was powerfully contrasted 
with an apparently thoughtless disposition. Pleasure 
was the great business of his life; this pursuit he en¬ 
nobled by his talents, and his influence produced, 
universally, good effects. Queen Anne’s visit to Bath 

I 


© 

















184 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


caused the city to become the focus of attraction for 
the gay and volatile; and hither Nash repaired in 1704. 
Shortly after his arrival he found that a leader of gaiety 
was required. Ilis ambition was gratified, and he en¬ 
tered with spirit upon the performance of his self- 
imposed duties. Commencing as the servant of the 
great, he soon possessed absolute power. He caused 
the gentlemen to abstain from oaths, swords, and top- 
boots, in the ball-room; while the assemblies were 
attended by ladies in full court dress—precedence was 
never forgotten, so that in the arrangement of the 
dances, all were gratified by the attentions bestowed. 
His power was by this means established on public 
opinion alone, when moral propriety was crushing the 
rude and licentious manners of the preceding century. 
While Addison, Steele, and the eminent writers of the 
day were engaged in the improvement of our literature, 
Nash ably seconded their efforts by carrying their 
principles into practice as far as friendly intercourse 
was concerned. Unlike a beau in the modern sense, 
Nash was awkward in person, and naturally ungainly 

in manner; but these defects he overcame by stateliness 

* 

of carriage and extravagance in dress; among other 
peculiarities, he constantly wore a white hat. Care- 
fid to maintain his reputation as a man of honour, lie 
prohibited thoughtless duels ; anxious to effect perma¬ 
nent good, he promoted charitable subscriptions. The 
Hath hospital, by means of which the poor of the 
united kingdom are enabled to participate in the bene¬ 
fits of the mineral springs, is an enduring monument 






























©-® 

BEAU NASH. 185 

of his benevolence. Of this good work he never wea¬ 
ried until he saw that noble building erected, and sus¬ 
tained by the subscriptions of the nobility and gentry, 
headed by king George II. and his queen. His purse 
was always open to the claims of the sick and deserving 
poor, and many anecdotes are related of his unosten¬ 
tatious charity; at the same time he outshone his con¬ 
temporaries in dress, establishment, and equipage, and 
defrayed all his expenses from the winnings of the 
gaming table. Such was Beau Nash, a man to whom 
Bath owes all its modern celebrity, and with whom it 
is inseparably connected ; who procured for it an ex¬ 
emption from the quartering of soldiers; who, finding 
it poor and restrained within its ancient limits, lived to 
see its noble edifices stretching over the adjacent hills, 
the most polished city in the kingdom. Bor fifty years 
he presided not only over its amusements, but its inter¬ 
ests, and left it rich, populous and splendid. The 
amusements of the visitors were so well regulated that 
they promoted, rather than impaired the health. Brom 
eight until ten in the morning the company met in the 
grand Pump-room to drink the waters, while a band of 
music enlivened the promenade. At ten they adjourned 
to the concert breakfast at the public rooms. The 
morning was employed in chit-chat, and strolling about 
the Bowling green and Parades. At three, they all 
assembled at dinner at the boarding tables, where, for 
twelve shillings a week, sumptuous fare was provided. 
Sobriety and frugality were strictly enforced. Unlike 
the present times, private parties were unfashionable. 

1; © --- © 


















186 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


At six, the rooms were opened for dancing and play; 
the M. C. led out the ladies in the order of precedence 
for the minuet. Tea was then served ; country dances 
succeeded; and the company retired at eleven o’clock. 
This rule was invariably followed. The princess Amelia 
was unable to induce Beau 'Nash to grant even one 
more dance after that hour. TV hat a contrast do these 
early hours present to those of our own day! The 
Pump-room still opens for its two hours’ musical pro¬ 
menade, but the time is changed to the afternoon. The 
assemblies commence at ten, and close at one in the 
morning ; while powdered wigs have given place to 
moustachios, polished boots have banished silk stockings 
and pumps; and where the stately minuet, with its 
graceful and polite step, was wont to enchant the eye 
of the beholder, we now see the rapid waltz and still 
more perplexing polka. The amusements are still go¬ 
verned by the code of laws established by Beau Nash 
—a restraint which all willingly acknowledge. He 
died, at the age of 88, on the 12th February, 1761, 
and was honoured with a public funeral at the expense 
of the city. 

Wbt ^Ttutanan, ov yrt&gteran (ftfjapel* 

The congregation assembling here is the oldest dis¬ 
senting congregation in Bath. Mr. Murch states, in his 
history of Presbyterian churches, that many clergymen 
were ejected from their livings in the neighbourhood 
by the Act of Uniformity in 1662, because they could 
not assent to the articles and services of the Common 

















-® 


TIIE UNITARIAN, OR PRESBYTERIAN CHAPEL. 187 


Prayer Book. The adherents of these clergymen met 
together in various obscure places, sometimes even in 
the woods, as long as the heaviest penalties for non¬ 
conformity remained in force ; but in 1688 some of 
them were able to worship openly in Bath under the 
guidance of a settled minister, and in 1692 they built 
a chapel in Frog-lane, now New Bond-street. The 
present communion plate is dated 1714. Dr. Bennett 
Stevenson, who officiated thirty-seven years, took an 
active part in founding the Bath hospital. His name 
was inserted in the act of parliament as one of the first 
governors; and his successors in the chapel, through a 
hundred years, having regularly made collections for 
the hospital, have filled the same office. In 1795 the 
present building in Trim-street was erected, at a cost 
of £2,500. It appears that congrgational registers of 
baptisms and deaths having been kept from a very early 
period, Avere deposited, on the passing of the Registra¬ 
tion act, at the Government office in London. In 1819 
the congregation aa ere presented by H. E. HoAvse, esq., 
a member of an old Bath family, Avith a cemetery ad¬ 
joining his grounds in the vale of Lyncombe. One of 
the first interments Avas that of a very aged man, the 
original of Mr. Barker’s Avell-knoAvn painting, “ The 
Woodman,” who was a long time in the service of 
Mi*. HoAvse as a gardener. 

“ This picture,” says Mr. Empson, in Avliose posses¬ 
sion it is, “ is surprising for its vigorous and decided 
execution, and Avas painted at the early age of fifteen. 
It is the return to his home of him who, by his destined 


® 


® 










188 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


lot, c goetli forth to his labour.’ His clay’s toil is over; 
and that he has toiled, is shewn in his somewhat relaxed 
gait—he c plods his weary way.’ His countenance, as 
well as bending form, tell of his task-work, and that it 
is over ; and a quiet calm is spreading over his features, 
conscious of a warm cot, and his winter supper, and 
comfort and rest; for the snow is on the ground. His 
faithful dog,—an indication himself of the home family, 
—looks up in his quiet face, and in the canvas speaks 
plain enough; for his legs are as they would hasten 
forward, while his head is averted, and his eager 
eye telling his master to speed on ; that the hearth 
is warm, and the walls bright; and that, though it be 
cold here, there are sunny faces awaiting him—awaiting 
both, for he is evidently one of the family, and has had 
many a time the arms of playful children around his 
shaggy coat. The little nest of trees to the left shew 
a cotter neighbourhood, and the paling to the right is 
indicative of a home in the waste he is not very far 
off. These little indications of home , of human though 
humble society, of fidelity and affection, even in the 
poor animal, make the sentiment of the picture; without 
which, indeed, it would be but an unmeaning portrait. 
The very fagot which he is bearing home will, we know, 
shed light and warmth; and thus there is a cheerful 
thought in the contemplation of day fading upon the 
cold, comfortless, drifted snow. The colouring is very 
appropriately grey and quiet, with warmth enough to 
gratify the eye, yet not destroy the wintry look. The 
composition is easy; the decision with which it is painted, 
surprising.” 



























THE THEATRE. 


189 


Trim-street is remarkable for having military trophies 
carved over the door of the house occupied by the family 
of the celebrated General Wolfe. 

The principal front of the Theatre is in Beaufort- 
square. This building, erected in 1805, is both neat 
and commodious, and is said to be the best provincial 
theatre in the kingdom. It has had a variety of pre¬ 
decessors. Prior to the Reformation, religious myste¬ 
ries were performed in St. Michael’s church; afterwards 
we read of plays at the Guildhall—at the Abbey gate— 
then on the site of the General hospital—the Lower 
rooms—at the Globe tavern, without the west gate, 
in Orchard-street, and Prog-lane, the latter converted 
from a chapel to a theatre, while the Orchard-street 
theatre was converted into a chapel. 

Harington-place was the residence of the family of 
that name; their house is now occupied as the Rectory 
Commercial school. 

At the top of John-street we see the last relic of 
antiquity in the neighbourhood—Barton farm-house, 
said by tradition to have been the spot where Sherston 
entertained queen Elizabeth, standing in its own farm¬ 
yard so late as 1752, for in that year an advertisement 
stated that horses were taken in to graze as usual. 

We soon arrive at Queen-square, where, in the 
splendid northern range of building, we see Wood’s 
talent in architecture to great advantage, and in the 
south-west corner the beautiful chapel of St. Mary, the 
first independent proprietary chapel erected in Bath. 
Its beautiful portico, of the Doric order, is almost 














190 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


unrivalled in its general character. This building is a 
correct copy of the temple at Nismes, dedicated to 
Caius and Lucius, the grandsons of Augustus Caesar. 
Having been erected in 1735, prior to the Marriage 
act, it is said to possess a privilege by prescription of 
having marriages solemnized therein, together with 
vaults for sepulture. 

In Charlotte-street are two beautiful buildings, the 
Savings-bank and the new Moravian chapel, the latter 
a copy of the Temple at Tivoli. 


"fcJtCtorta ^arfe. 

At the end of Queen’s-parade is Rivers gate, on the 
top of which are two elegant bronze lions, formerly 
standing on either side of the throne in the Masonic 
hall, presented to the Park committee by Mr. Geary, 
which leads us at once from the busy city to Bath’s 
greatest ornament, the Victoria park. Here we enjoy 
pure air without fatigue, while every step opens to our 
view enchanting prospects; and when, exhilarated by 
their variety and beauty, we pause beneath the shadow 
of the leafy chestnut to look around, we feel that to 
those who planned and executed this useful work our 
thanks are due, and a still higher feeling grows upon 
us, for it was the result of public spirit assisted by 
private benevolence. 

On the 11th of August, 1829, the following gentle¬ 
men, whose names deserve to be recorded, formed 
themselves into a provisional committee for the pur- 
















VICTORIA PARK 



















































© -—-- © 

VICTORIA PARK. 191 

pose of laying out ornamental plantations, walks, and 
rides, in the Crescent field and Freeman’s estate :— 


Mr. J. Davies 
„ H. Godwin 
„ R. M. Payne 
„ T. B. Coward 
„ B. Bartrum 
„ S. Simms 
„ C. Duffield 
„ J. Stafford 
„ C. Geary 
„ C. Godwin 


Mr. E. English 
„ J. Martin 
„ W. Evans 
,, J. Stothert 
„ C. Bones 
„ W. Crocker 
„ B. L. Reilly 
„ H. Hobson 
„ T. Mulligan 
,, J. Loder 


Mr. Edward Davis was directed to prepare plans, 
which received the approbation of the corporation, who 
voted a sum of £100 per annum, in addition to a 
donation to that amount, while the body of Freemen 
concurred in the measure ; the result of which was 
that a public meeting was held under the presidency of 
Dr. Spry, the mayor, when the plan was unanimously 
adopted, and directed to be carried into effect. 

On the 23rd of October, 1830, the park was formally 
opened by her present Majesty, accompanied by her 
august mother, the Duchess of Kent, and in compliance 
with her Majesty’s express wish, it received the name 
of the Royal Victoria park. 

Everything that could add to the picturesque beauty 
of the scene was adopted: old quarries were formed 
into romantic dells ; the waters of the field, which 
flowed in scattered streams, were collected into an 
ornamental lake; while, near the Victoria gates the 
corporation erected a tasteful Gothic building, as a 

©--——-© 










192 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


farm-house for the Freemen’s estate. Every one seemed 
anxious as far as possible to assist, so that nearly £5,000 
were subscribed during the first year. In 18 3 7, a column 
was erected on the occasion of her Majesty’s attaining 
her majority, which, at the same time that it attests 
the loyalty of the city, affords a pleasing object in 
the prospect. Near a romantic and beautifully-wooded 
glen, is placed a colossal head of Jupiter, the work of 
the enthusiastic but broken-spirited Osborn, a Bath 
artist, sculptured from a solid block of freestone, 
surrounded by masses of stone in fantastic forms. 

The history of the Park, from year to year, is well 
known. It ought, however, to be stated that the town 
council, elected under the Municipal Reform act, had 
not the power to continue the subscription of £100 per 
annum, voted by their predecessors, and that, conse¬ 
quently, the entire expence is defrayed by the voluntary 
contributions of the public. The sum annually paid in 
rents, wages, stone for the roads, and various incidentals, 
amounts to nearly £800 ; in nearly all cases very cheer¬ 
fully paid, for no one is insensible to the advantage of 
free access to such a place. A committee, chosen 
annually by the subscribers, but often to a great extent 
re-elected, lose no opportunity of adding to the attrac¬ 
tions of the Park, and maintaining its character as one 
of the most pleasing in the kingdom. The chief labour 
and responsibility of such an undertaking, peculiarly 
requiring as it does, unity of taste and purpose, will 
always devolve upon a few; but if an opinion may be 
formed from the preseut state of public feeling, those 





















r 


© -—,- © 

WESTON. 193 

gentlemen will never look in vain for the support and 
tlie gratitude of their fellow-citizens. 

Immediately behind the bust of Jupiter is the foot¬ 
path conducting us to the road leading to Weston. 


Micron. 

There is not a more delightful walk in the vicinity 
of Bath than that to the secluded village of Weston, 
approached by a nearly straight road, having pleasing 
villas on either hand, anciently the Via Julia, from 
Walcot to the Severn. In its course many antiquities 
have been discovered, more particularly two Lares, or 
household gods, now deposited in the Loyal Institution. 

Turning the corner about a mile from the city, we 
look up the verdant crest of Lansdown, and catch a 
glimpse of Beckford’s tower; and, pursuing the foot¬ 
way, come suddenly to the village, which lies em¬ 
bosomed in an amphitheatre of gentle eminences and 
wooded slopes, a neat row of houses giving it a 
modern aspect, while the antique style of its cottages 
produces by contrast a beautiful and picturesque effect. 

I 

At the Conquest it must have been singularly beautiful; 
at that time it was divided into manors, valued at £18, 
and contained a mile and a half of wood, two mills, 
and 120 acres of pasture lands. Of these manors, one 
had belonged to Bath Abbey from time immemorial; 
the owner of the other was dispossessed by William, 
who gave it to one of his followers : however, this 
was purchased in 1106, by John of Tours, who gave it 

o 

®-© 














194 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


also to the Bath Abbey, in whose possession it remained 
until the dissolution. 

Elphage, the first abbot appointed by king Edgar, 
was a native of this place. He holds a conspicuous 
place in the Saxon calendar for his piety and learning. 
He subsequently became bishop of Winchester, and 
afterwards archbishop of Canterbury. He was cruelly 
stoned to death at Greenwich, whose church is dedi¬ 
cated to him, by the Hanes, when they sacked the 
latter city, and his body, after being buried in London, 
was, by order of king Canute, removed to Canterbury 
cathedral. 

The church is on a rising ground in the centre of the 
village. It is of the Perpendicular period, having an 
embattled tower containing six bells; the nave and 
chancel were neatly rebuilt in 1833. There are a great 
number of mural tablets, and the stained glass in the east 
window is particularly chaste. Its old church was a 
small building, without much beauty; it only held 
200 persons, while the present one seats 630. The 
living is a vicarage, in the patronage of the crown; 
in 1699, John Harington, of Kelston, endowed it 
with the rectorial tithes, on condition only that the 
rector should reside. Near it are three schools, very 
ornamental buildings, and well adapted for the purpose; 
in them 230 children receive instruction daily. 

Weston contained a population of 2,899 souls at the 
census of 1841. Its area is 2,600 statute acres, its net 
rental £10,340; its poor’s rates were £700 before the- 
union, and are now £600. 















®—- 

WESTON. 


195 









! 




I 


In this village a mock election of mayor is sometimes 
celebrated. The inauguration in 1834 took place as 
follows :—After a sumptuous dinner, the mayor of 
the “ancient city of the seven streams” entered the 
hall in full procession, with mace-bearers, aldermen, 
and recorder, attended by the ambassadors of foreign 
countries, music, &c. He then bound himself to 
protect the rights, luxuries, and comforts of the 
corporation; to maintain peace with Twerton, and 
all foreign countries ; to protect the streams and 
water-courses, and to steal water when required for 
corporation purposes, and to use his authority exclusively 
for its benefit. An armed champion then threw down 
a gauntlet, defying, to mortal combat, all who should 
impugn the privileges of the ancient city; the civic 
dignitaries then did homage, and the town-clerk opened 
the charter-chest, and, among other authentic docu¬ 
ments, read Julius Cfesar’s original charter, granted in 
consequence of services rendered in providing billets 
for his army when encamped on Lansdown. The 
mayor then addressed the citizens, and said that Bath 
had usurped the rights of this ancient city, not only in 
regard to corporate privileges, but also in its medicinal 
springs. The Weston springs had, indeed, wonderful 
qualities: one of them was of a petrifying nature; a 
gouty gentleman having fallen into the brook, had 
never suffered from any disorder since. His tomb 
might be seen in the churchyard. 

Proceeding along the borders of Locksbrook, which, 
rising in Lansdown, falls into the Avon, w r e arrive at 


© 


















196 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

tlie extremity of the village, where a road leads to 
Prospect stile, the race-course, and cricket-ground on 
Lansdown; a quarter of a mile brings us to North 
Stoke-lane, a continuation of the Via Julia. At first 
all seems straightforward enough, but, arrested by a 
gate, we find ourselves on the unfrequented Pom an 
road, varied by romantic upland scenery, here smooth 
with mossy turf, there rough with rocky stones ; while 
turning round as we ascend, we obtain a magnificent 
view of the distant city terminated by Beechen cliff and 
Claverton down, and, still ascending, we mount the 
acclivity which terminates in Kelston Pound hill, or 
as it is sometimes called, Henstridge hill. Resting 
beneath its pines we command the most beautiful and 
extensive view in the county. On either side lie the 
cities of Bath and Bristol; to the eastward, the eye 
wanders over the downs to Marlborough forest; south¬ 
ward, over Salisbury plain, into Dorset ; westward, 
to the Mendip hills, the Bristol channel, the coast of 
Wales and Monmouthshire; while to the north, the 
forest of Dean forms a barrier to our view. Below and 
on every side are seen verdant hills and fertile valleys, 
with here and there a village spire. While the river 
flows nearly at our feet, we track, by its evanescent 
fleecy wreath, the railroad through the splendid vale. 
Our walk becomes more romantic at every step, until, 
five miles from Bath, we reach our destination. 


© 




















NORTH STOKE. 


197 


jEorti) iotofce 

Is a straggling village of antique farm-houses, pictu¬ 
resque in the highest degree. Its church, of Norman 
foundation, is situated on a gentle eminence, and is 
remarkable for its utter want of beauty. A heavy 
square nondescript tower, having “ William Britton, 
churchwarden, 1731/’ legibly engraven thereon, seems 
to have been built after his own design; it is thirty 
feet high. Its font is Norman. Its belfry contains a 
beautiful monument, representing a female figure sit¬ 
ting under a palm tree, resting on an urn, and holding 
a palm-branch in her left hand; above are the arms of 
Colonel Edward Brown, and below an inscription to 
his memory. The chancel is divided from the nave by 
a wall, in which are two windows and a door. On 
either side of the porch are two ancient heads; it is 
surmounted by an incongruous modern florid cross, 
below which is a crucifix behind a book, on which is a 
shepherd’s crook. In the south-west corner of the 
churchyard is a beautiful and unmutilated yew tree. 

The manor was given to Bath abbey by Kenulf, 
king of Mercia, in 800. In 1120, Modbert de Stoke 
disputed the right; but, not proving his own, it was 
confirmed to the monks by Henry I. and Stephen. 
At the Reformation, it was given to Paidet Lord St. 
John ; and, in Elizabeth’s reign, to the manor of East 
Greenwich. Its population is 173; its area, 660 
acres; its average poor’s rates, <£28. 

Returning through the village, we come to North 







VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


©- 

198 

' Stoke brow, from whence we obtain another delightful 
view, surrounding, as it were, the beautiful church of 
j Bitton, just within the boundary of Gloucestershire, 
to which we proceed by descending the field to the 
high road. Passing through the village of Swinford, 
where are some copper mills in full operation, we diverge 
from the Bristol road a quarter of a mile further on, by 
a lane which conducts us to 

IStttun, 

I 

A large parish, containing five churches, thirty miles in 
j circumference, divided from Somerset by the river Avon; 
it is a vicarage annexed to the prebend of Bitton, in 
the collegiate church of Salisbury. It comprises the 
hamlets of Bitton and Hanham, where there are Roman 
| camps, and Oldland, each of which is distinct for paro¬ 
chial purposes, their population together amounting, in 
1841, to 9,338. 

Bitton church consists of a nave remarkable for 
its length, a chancel separated from it by an elabo¬ 
rately beautiful Anglo-Norman arch terminated by a 
beautiful east window, containing stained glass, having 
on either side an emblematical carving, the one repre¬ 
senting ears of corn, the other a vine branch. The 
church is very ancient, the foundation Anglo-Norman, 
but the general character Perpendicular. The north 
chapel contains some elaborate sedilia of the Decorated 
style. In the north porch are preserved the effigies 
| of Sir Walter cle Bitton, and the Lady Emmote de 

©- 























BITTON 


199 


Ilastynges, good examples of the monuments of the 
thirteenth century ; together with some coffins, and 
other relics of antiquity. In 1822, the Anglo-Norman 
south door was converted into a window. The tower 
is of the Perpendicular period, consisting of three 
stages having diagonal buttresses, carrying crocketted 
pinnacles at each stage ; it has an embattled parapet, 
with pinnacles. A very beautiful spire, restored by 
Mr. Ellacombe, the incumbent, in 1842, surmounts 
the stair-turret. The drip corbels of the western 
doorway are supposed to represent Edward III. and 
his queen. The churchyard is very neat, in which arc 
some beautiful tombs after antique models. Every 
admirer of ancient art will feel grateful to the incum¬ 
bent for the manner in which the restorations of this 
beautiful edifice have been effected. 

In this village are some paper mills, which are 
worthy of inspection, more particularly the beautiful 
sheet of water connected with them. 

Certain holders of land in this parish have an old 
right to pasture cattle in the meadows which skirt the 
Avon, from the Sunday after the 14th of August to 
the April following; the nominal owners having the 
right only to mow them. This day was formerly one 
of high festivity. A white bull, decked in garlands, 
was led in with much ceremony ; the others driven in 
with shouting. Though this has been discontinued, 
the custom of “ shooting the meadows,” as it is called, 
still exists, and is probably of very high antiquity. 





















200 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


I&tlston, 

; Anciently called Kelweston, is the next village on 
our road home; a place not mentioned in Domesday 
Book, but anciently belonging to Shaftesbury abbey. 
Henry VIII. granted this manor to his natural daugh¬ 
ter, Ethelred Malte, who married his confidential 
servant, John Harington. His son, the celebrated Sir 
John Harington, was godson to queen Elizabeth. He 
translated Ariosto’s Orlando Eurioso, from the Italian, 
and was one of the most brilliant wits of her court. 
The earl of Essex, lord lieutenant of Ireland, having 
knighted him without first asking the queen’s consent, 
she took offence, and he withdrew from court until the 
| accession of king James. Queen Elizabeth visited 
Kelston in 1591, on which occasion she presented him 
with a gold font; which, being removed by his son for 
greater security to Bristol, in 1643, was coined into 
money by the Parliamentarians. During the civil wars, 
the mansion, which stood near the church, was ravaged 
by both parties. This house, erected in 1587, was 
destroyed in 1700 by Sir Caesar Hawkins, although 
many of its outbuildings still remain. 

The church is an ancient building, with a square 
tower forty feet high, in which are four bells; its 
general character is early English. Its body consists 
of a nave, chancel, and two porches, one walled up. 
Its north window has a male and female head forming; 
its corbels ; its east window is obstructed by an ancient 
board with the commandments painted in black letter ; 
its font is octangular and ancient. 

® --- 


© 
















KELSTON. 


201 


“ Alas ! the good old name is dead, 

And only to be seen on a tombstone; 

A name that has gone down from sire to son, 

So many generations!” 

These words of Southey came forcibly to our remem¬ 
brance as we passed through the churchyard, and 
contemplated the decaying tombs of the Haringtons 
from beneath its beautiful yew tree, which the maiden 
queen herself may have planted ; and then we sought 
I the park wherein the deer were wont to range, and 
I passed its deserted mansion, while the busy rooks cawed 
around us, and the young lambs bleated as we passed, 
their dams, as though unconscious of our presence, 

! remaining in the shadow of the noble elms. Its 
population in 1841 was 255 ; its area 1,045 statute 
acres ; and its poor rates average f!65. 

Two miles from Bath we ascend Newbridge hill, from 
which we obtain a beautiful prospect. Here is Partis 
college, erected by the widow of Pletcher Partis in 
compliance with his will, rendered void by the statute 
i of Mortmain. This beautiful building was completed 
in 1826, and opened for the reception of thirty decayed 
gentlewomen, each of whom receives an annuity, and 
is provided with a separate residence; ten are required 
to be either daughters or widows of clergymen of the 
established church. It has a resident chaplain, the 
bishop of the diocese is visitor, and its management is 
vested by deed in the hands of thirteen trustees. 

We can reach Bath also by railway from Saltford. 
















202 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


galtfortt* 

Leaving Kelston churchyard, we walk past an ancient 
farm house and cross the fields to Saltford ferry, near 
which are some brass mills on the river, and a station 
of the Great Western railway, five miles from Bath. 
Saltford is a pretty village, formerly belonging to the 
honor of Gloucester. It is now in the possession of 
the family of Chandos, who are the patrons of the 
living. 

Its church is remarkable for an ancient heptagonal 
font, on which are seven angels’ heads, and a Perpen¬ 
dicular window on its northern aspect. Its interior is 
neat, having been lately repaired; but its tower is 
clumsy, and was “ mended” when the church w T as 
repaired. 

Near it is the ancient mansion of the Rodney family, 
now in the possession of Mr. Blower. Its walls are 
four feet thick; its flooring is of unplaned oak trees; 
its circular headed window was modernized in the 
sixteenth century; the old door still remains, with a 
gabled porch, surmounted by a cross and sculptured j 
corbels. A chimney piece bears the date of 1645. 
The roof is surmounted at its eastern gable by a seated 
lion carved in stone. 

It is in the Keynsliam Union and hundred. Its 
population in 1841 was 427 ; its area 823 acres; its 
poor rates average J6160. 

About two miles from Saltford is the sequestered 
and beautiful village of 



















r 


®-——-® 

CORSTON. NEWTON ST. LO. 203 

(!Ior£ton, 

Lying under Newton hill, shrouded in a grove of trees. 

At the conquest, it belonged to Bath Abbey, when it 
was worth £8. In the reign of Henrv I. it was alien- 
ated from the monastery to the family of St. Lo; after¬ 
wards to the family of Inge. It was a portion of the 
Ilarington estates until the eighteenth century, when it 
was purchased by Joseph Langton, whose daughter 
marrying William Gore Langton, esq., it came into his 
possession. 

The church which is dedicated to All Saints, stands 
in a well kept churchyard. It is a peculiar edifice, 
having a square western tower supporting a conical 
spire ; its chancel is embattled. In it is a walled up 
north door of early English architecture ; the east 
window consists ol three lights without mullions. The 
church was repaired and covered with plaster in 1622. 

In the centre of the village is a beautiful elm tree, 
near which are some national schools, of a pleasing 
style of architecture, recently erected. 

This parish is in the hundred of Wellow, and the 
Union of Keynsham. Its population, in 1841, was 
604 ; its area 1145 acres; its average poor rates are 
£ 120 . 

A delightful walk conducts us to the village of 


Ncfofou £t. Ho. 

A short distance on the high road we pass through a 
gate, and, ascending the hill, we come into the church- 









204 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


yard on its summit. The manor of Newton was one 
of the many bestowed by the Conqueror on the bishop 
of Coutance; it afterwards came into the possession of 
the family of St. Lo, or de Sancto Laude. In the 
reign of king John, the sheriff assessed its owner, Roger 
St. Lo, in the sum of £100 towards a levy of that 
monarch; and when the barons rebelled, this powerful 
lord is said to have imprisoned the king in his castle 
at Newton. It subsequently passed to the families of 
Botreaux, Hungerford, Hastings, and at present it 
belongs to Gore Langton. 

The church is a remarkably handsome one, having a 
fine tower of the pure Perpendicular style, embattled, 
and covered with ivy, containing a peal of five bells. 
The western arch is partially built up. The font is 
octagonal, the pulpit very old; near it are two beautiful 
square decorated windows, the panels elaborately 
ornamented with coats of arms and various emblems. 
The south chapel, separated from the nave by arches, 
contains a canopied pew belonging to the lord of the 
manor, and a mural monument, of grey and white mar¬ 
ble, of the Langton family; the pediment, supported by 
Corinthian columns, is divided into two compartments 
by a column in the centre. In the churchyard are the 
remains of the Holy Rood, consisting of a portion of 
the shaft of the cross, and three steps. 

Near the church is a free school, built and endowed 
by Richard Jones, of Stowey, in 1698. 

Near the village is the beautiful park of William 
Gore Langton, esq., the late respected member for east 


























NEWTON CHURCH. 


_ 


— 













































© 

ENGLISHCOMBE. 205 

Somerset, who represented his native county fifty-five 
years, and who, full of years a id honor, has been lately 
“ gathered to his fathers,” leaving an unblemished 
character for consistency and uprightness during a long 
and honorable political career. 

During the formation of the Great Western railway, 
a beautiful Roman pavement was discovered, which, 
having been carefully removed, has been relaid in a 
room appropriated for the purpose at the Keynsham 
station. 

Newton is in the hundred of Wellow, and Keynsham 
Union. Its population is 527 ; its area is 1504 acres ; 
its poor rates £250. 

A delightful rural stroll brings us to the ancient 
village of 

iSnglt^combe, 

A shady lane for about a mile, and then a pathway 
; over pasture land. Its name has been a puzzle to the 
antiquary ; but if we desired to shew a foreigner a true 
English valley, we certainly should select it for the 
purpose. Will our readers accept this etymology ? It 
was given to the bishop of Coutance at the Conquest, 
the Saxon thane receiving a peremptory notice to quit. 

It was then worth £10. It had six ploughs, two mills, 

I twelve acres of meadow, and one hundred acres of 
i coppice wood, ten carucates of arable land, and three 
carucates in demesne. In the reign of king John, we 
find it in the possession of the powerful family of De 
Gournay, one of whom made his youngest son heir, on 

© 


© 











206 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


the singular tenure of twelve cross-bow shots annually. 
Here was one of their baronial castles; but Sir Thomas 
de Gournay being attainted for the murder of king 
Edward II., this, with his other estates, was confiscated 
and bestowed on the duchy of Cornwall, the prince of 
Wales, in right of the said duchy, being lord of the 
manor. 

The church is pleasantly situated on the brow of a 
hill, and presents a contrast to those which we have 
described, in having a central embattled tower, with 
pinnacles. Its font is Norman, and square. On the 
north side of the tower, which contains five bells, are 
two finely preserved Norman zigzag arches walled up ; 
those supporting the tower are early English, on 
Norman pillars and capitals. The west window, of the 
Decorated period, containing stained glass, has in its 
mouldings four shields : one of Bath Abbey, which 
received a pension from its rectory ; one containing a 
bugle horn; the third a bow; and the fourth a quiver 
of arrows. In the porch there is a small decorated 
canopy, and near the altar a piscina of the same period. 
In the south chapel, a beautiful square decorated 
window, and on the wall between it and the nave, an 
angel supporting a coat of arms ; above, a window 
divided into two compartments, containing ancient 
stained glass. It was thoroughly repaired in good 
taste in 1840, by which sixty additional sittings were 
obtained. In the churchyard is a decaying recumbent 
effigy, which probably originally occupied an altar-tomb 
in the chapel. 













ENGLISHCOMBE. 


207 


Of the castle nothing remains except the earth¬ 
work and fosse in a field called Culverhays. Ninety 
years since, a large maple tree was rooted out of its 
site, under the idea that treasure w T as concealed beneath; 
nothing, however, but the ancient well, filled up with 
rubbish, rewarded the search. The view from its 
grassy mound is very picturesque. 

The Manor house, now converted into a beer shop, 
exists much in the same state as when the unfortunate 
duke of Monmouth passed through the village to 
Philips Norton, from his bivouac on Barrow hill; its 
doorway, anciently fastened with a strong bar of wood, 
having a small window on either side, the better to 
guard against sudden surprise. 

The rectorial barn, built out of the ruins of the 
castle, is a fine example of the gothic barn of the later 
period. A venerable pear tree is trained against its 
buttresses; and in the hedge behind is one of the most 
extraordinary vegetable curiosities in the kingdom— 
two ancient yew trees having grown together in the 
form of a lancet arch. Prom the centre a remarkably 
fine new growth arises. 

In the orchard, near the church, the Wansdyke may 
be seen; and in the pasture lands, westward, it exists 
in its pristine condition—a long mound with a ditch 
on either side, varying in height from nine to twelve 
feet; a portion of the orchard occupying the site of a 
British earthwork, which extends to the down beyond. 
Pew r objects of antiquarian research have given so much 
occasion for surmises; it has, in turn, been attributed 















208 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


i 


to tlie Britons, Romans, and Saxons; for my own 
part, I am inclined to believe it to be an old Celtic 
boundary, anterior to the irruption of tlie Belgae. 
Throughout its course, from the Thames to the Severn, 
their vestiges remain, their towns, their barrows, and 
their temples; too feeble for an intrenchment of a 
thinly inhabited country, it was sufficiently durable as 
a landmark. Here and there, as at Avebury, in Wilt¬ 
shire, it assumes the appearance of an intrenchment; 
but in every other portion of its course it is useless for 
such a purpose. Extending in nearly a direct line from 
the Thames, it enters Wiltshire at Great Bedwin, 
passing through Savernake forest, over Marlborough 
downs by Calstone, Heddington, and Spye park, arrives 
at the Avon at Benacre, traverses the fields, meets the 
Avon again at Bathampton, crosses Claverton down, 
Prior park, and Englishcombe, thence by Stantonbury 
camp, through Publow to Maes Knoll, then passes over 
Highbridge common to the ancient port of Portishead 
on the Severn. 

Englishcombe barrow hill, half a mile from the 
village, is the largest and most remarkable burial 
mound in the world. At its base it is 800 yards in 
circumference; its summit is 36 yards in diameter; its 
eastward slope is 104 yards ; its perpendicular height 
100 feet. Conjecture has vainly sought for the origin 
of this immense artificial mound. That it is so, all anti¬ 
quaries agree, for its form and aspect differ materially 
from a natural hill. Erom its summit we have a mao;- 
nificent panoramic view of the vale of Avon, embracing 












TWERTON. 


209 


Bath and its suburbs, the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire 
hills, the Severn and Cambrian mountains. 

The parish is in the hundred of Wellow and Union 
of Bath. Its population, in 1841, was 486 ; its area 
1852 statute acres, paying a net rental of £2490. Its 
poor rates before the union were £189, and now 
average £120 per annum. 

The return from the village may be varied in many 
ways: we can keep the shady lane to the Wells road, 
or cross the field to Twerton; in either case beautiful 
prospects will delight us. 






Cfoertou. 

Twerton, formerly called Twiverton, but in Domesday 
Book Twertone, at which time it was divided into two 
manors, was given by William to the bishop of Cou- 
tance, who appears to have bestowed so many on that 
valiant ecclesiastic that they might again revert to the 
crown at his death. In the reign of Henry III. it was 
the property of the Bayeaux family, through whom it 
came to the Rodneys, who held it until 1590, when it 
was divided into a number of estates. In 1318, the 
church, valued at six marks, was given to the nuns of 
Kington St. Michael, the vicar being bound to pay the 
prioress 100 shillings yearly; and as often as he failed 
in his payment he was fined a mark towards the build¬ 
ing of Bath Abbey. This deed was dated at Ever- 
creech, 1st August, 1242 and is preserved in the 

p 
















210 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


registry of Wells. Tlie nuns of Barrow liad a pension 
also of two marks from the rectory, so that we may 
presume it was rather a good living in ancient times. 

Of the church, which is dedicated to St. Michael, 
the font and tower alone remain ; the former Norman 
j and octagonal, the latter embattled, of the later deco- 
| rated period, containing six bells. The body of the 
church was rebuilt in 1839, after a design by Mr. 
Manners, by which the tower became southwest, the 
church inclined to the north, so that the fine Norman 
arch, with its pellet and chevron mouldings, and 
grotesque heads, forming the capitals, conducts to the 
j south aisle. On it is inscribed— 

“ THIS IS NONE OTHER BUT THE HOUSE OF GOD; 

AND THIS IS THE GATE OF HEAVEN.” 

However appropriate this sentence may be, it is a pity 
to spoil the effect of this beautiful relic of antiquity 
I by its introduction into the mouldings of the arch. 
The interior of the nave is exceedingly neat, its old 
monumental tablets being re-erected in good taste, 
and a plain gallery occupies three sides of the quad¬ 
rangle. The pulpit has a large gilt crucifix, with the 
monogram 1. H. S. The chancel, which is beautifully 
plain and chastely neat, is ascended from the nave by 
three steps ; its window is glazed with stained glass, 
and the altar fittings are simple and elaborate, pro¬ 
ducing a very fine, yet subdued effect. By the altera¬ 
tion, accommodation was afforded for 812 persons, and 
the church contains 457 free sittings. 
















TWERTON. 


211 


We remarked in tlie churchyard an obelisk, on which 
was a most flattering inscription to Mrs. Peggy Amat, 
surmounted by a small porcelain urn, inserted into the 
free-stone. To read it one would think she was a 
paragon of perfection; but casting our eyes on the 
slab on which we stood, we found that it was “ respect¬ 
fully erected” by her husband, and we turned away 
wondering which told the truth, the one inscription or 
the other; it certainly seemed an odd expression on a 
tomb. 

Near the church are the celebrated woollen factories 
of Messrs. Wilkins and company ; and it is not a little 
singular that they should now be all that is left of the 
woollen manufactory at Bath, the monks, as we have 
before stated, having caused it to be celebrated through¬ 
out the world. After the Beformation the prosperity 
of the city was alone maintained by it; and at the 
restoration of king Charles II. there were no less than 
thirty-six looms at work in St. Michael’s alone. 

The immense increase of this now populous village 
may be gathered from Collinson, whose work was 
published in 1790. He says, “The village consists of 
one street half a mile in length; the first house on 
entering the village on the right was the residence of 
Henry Fielding while he wrote his ‘ Tom Jones.’ 
The christenings in this parish average 13 ; the burials 
18 annually.” 

We looked for Fielding’s house, and found it in one 
of a row, called Fielding’s-terrace. Its window was 
filled with the various wares which characterize the 














212 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 






village shop; a board over the door, which is still 
surmounted by his crest, informed us that the tenant 
was “ licensed to sell tea, coffee, tobacco, and snuff,” 
and various articles of a nondescript character deco¬ 
rated the window of the novelist’s study. 

Many years ago we were shewn a house in the upper 
town of Boulogne, on which was a marble tablet, 
stating that Le Sage, the author of “ Gil Bias,” died 
there. It was but a simple record, plain and un¬ 
adorned, a cheap, but well-deserved tribute ; and we 
have often thought, that such a custom would, if 
adopted in this country, produce a feeling of respect 
to the dwellings of departed genius, and elevate the 
national taste, by directing the wayfarer’s ideas to 
what all can feel—respect and reverence to those who 
deserve well of their fellow men. 

In the field above, we saw an industrious group 
cultivating their patches of allotment land. What a 
blessing it must be for them thus to employ hours, 
which would otherwise be unproductive, in the cultiva¬ 
tion of a grateful soil, which for every hour’s labour 
returns a thousand blessings, doubly prized, because it 
is all their own, and eaten with the sanctifying comfort 
of independence! 

And then our elastic ideas received a check, for we 
were on the confines of misery and wretchedness,—we 
had rung the bell of the Bath City gaol. Politely 
received by the governor, we were shewn through that 
splendid establishment, where a most efficient, yet 
benevolent system of prison discipline is enforced. 

















TWERTON. 


213 


But we are locked in ; let us enter an open cell. 
First, let us admire the architectural arrangements of 
the corridor, containing 86 male cells; the opposite 
one having 36 for female prisoners. Here is plenty of 
light, hot air, and free ventilation, every cell having its 
window, with water, a comfortable bed, and ample 
room, thirteen feet long by seven broad, and nine high, 
with a bell to summon an attendant when required, a 
bible, and a prayer book. The separate, and not the 
silent, system is enforced. The attendants converse 
with the prisoner, and the chaplain and other officers 
daily visit him ; but were he to remain seven years he 
would never see the tenant of the next cell. Contami¬ 
nation is thus prevented; and as he is instructed by 
the schoolmaster daily, he becomes (unless completely 
hardened) wiser and better, so that his imprisonment 
produces the grand effect aimed at—reformation. We 
saw a prisoner in one of the exercising grounds: he 
looked well in health; and although many think the 
system too lenient, we feel sure, that, like Sterne’s 
starling, his cry was, “ I can’t get outand whatever 
his crimes might have been, his heart would respond to 
the gay carol of the lark, who soared on high, or to the 
chirpings of the sparrow, who hopped from the yard to 
the top of the dreary wall, and he would envy the 
birds their liberty and innocence. We were much 
pleased with all the arrangements ;—contrasted with 
gaols we had visited, order and kindness seemed to 
prevail; and were gratified to hear that the refractory 
cells had never been used, and that the system had 












214 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

diminished crime in the city. In the old gaol, 110 
was the average number of inmates, now reduced to 
5 0; the Bailiff being enabled to discharge three officers 
and one female attendant, as being more than the 
establishment required. The good effects of the sys¬ 
tem are shewn by the gradual diminution of the 
number of commitments. Mr. Pike says that the 
number of prisoners were, in the year 1844, 843; 
1845, 776 ; 1846, 632. The building covers two 
acres of land, and is a mile and a half from the Guild¬ 
hall; it cost .£22,000, and was erected in 1842 by 
Mr. Manners. 

Twerton is in the hundred of Mellow and Union of 
Bath. Its population is 3342 ; its area 971 statute 
acres ; its net rental £6823 ; its poor rates were £306 
before the union, and are now £378. 

We returned to Bath by Mr. Dredge’s patent sus¬ 
pension bridge. Arguing from analogy, we feel sure 
that his principle is correct, because Providence has 
not, in forming our arms and hands for the lifting of 
heavy weights, given the same quantity of muscle at 
the extremity of our fingers as at the shoulders. It is 
light, graceful, and elegant. “ Mr. Dredge’s genius,” 
says Lord Western, in a letter to Lord Melbourne, then 
premier, “ has led him, by the simplicity and perspicuity 
of his conceptions, to effect a discovery which I firmly 
believe will turn out of great national importance, the 
recognition of which by the country will, I am sure, be 
felt by him as the highest possible reward. I proceed 
to give you a brief description of the expense and 











SION HILL. 


215 


particulars of tlie Victoria bridge, across the Avon, 
built in 1836, which has proved itself equal to its in¬ 
ventor’s most sanguine expectations ; its cost was 
361,650, its span is 150 feet, and only 21 tons of iron 
were consumed in its construction, which cost only 
32420; the great expense was therefore on the masonry 
and the timbers supporting the platform or road, quite 
unconnected with the principle on which the bridge is 
built. The chains are under 10 tons, and are equal to 
sustain 500 tons on transit. In November he began 
putting the chains of this bridge together, and in the 
following month it was opened for general use; its road 
is stoned like common roads. During a recent residence 
of two months in that city, I have had an opportunity 
of seeing often the bridge; it is a beautiful structure, 
and at once commands admiration for its beauty and 
confidence in its stability.” 


£tmx 

Leaving the village of Weston by a lane near the 
church, we cross the pasture land to Primrose hill. 
The views are very beautiful: Weston on the one side of 
the Avon, and Twerton on the other, backed by English- 
combe barrow, and the picturesquely-wooded ranges, 
afford us pleasing prospects as we ascend the hill. 

A narrow shaded pathway on the brow conducts us 
to the top of the High Common, a portion of the Free¬ 
men’s estate—the ancient barton, now laid out with 
much taste as a public walk in connection with the 



















216 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


park, from whence we have another view of the city, 
with its crescentic border of hills rising in the southern 
background. 

At the end of Sion-hill is the residence of Mr. Thomas 
Barker, the celebrated artist, whose beautiful fresco of 
the massacre at Scio, in 1822, adorns the v r alls of its 
saloon—a work of art remarkable for the taste and 
genius displayed in its execution, and for the grandeur 
of conception developed in its groupings. Then pas¬ 
sing along Somerset-place, we come to Lansdown- 
crescent, erected towards the close of the last century, 
when it was called Spackman’s-buildings, after the 
gentleman who first rented the ground. 

In Lansdown-crescent is Mr. Henry Lawson’s cele¬ 
brated Observatory, containing every instrument and 
appliance necessary for the observations for which that 
gentleman has so greatly distinguished himself. 

Immediately below is All Saints’ chapel, opened in 
1794. It was erected from a plan by Mr. Palmer, in 
a debased Grothic style. Its gallery environs it, and 
forms an oval; the twelve windows contain each the 
head of an apostle painted on glass, while that over the 
altar is illuminated with the Lord’s Supper, after a 
design by T. Barker. 

Walking along the broad pavement we see why Bath 
is so delightful a residence for the invalid, and why its 
inhabitants attain so remarkable a longevity compared 
with those of other cities. Its sheltered situation, its 
animated and delightful prospects, its pleasant society, 
completeness of arrangement, and the comparative 

© --- 














I 


CHARL COMBE. 217 

cheapness of everything required by the most fastidious 
taste, will preserve its pre-eminence as the most beau¬ 
tiful city in the world; and though fashions change, 
and “ seasons” be as though they were not, Bath has 
natural advantages, improved by art, which none other 
can boast of; which have caused her sheltered valleys 
and mysterious springs to be sought, for health and 
comfort, dining countless ages. 

We wish that those who doubt our panegyric, would 
accompany us to Beacon-hill, or to the terrace walk of 
Camden-place, from w T hence we have a view which 
would require all our enthusiasm to describe; or, if 
they wish a stroll into the country, w r e would take them 
to the village of 

(£JjaiTcombc, or tije “UaXIeg of tljc peasant,” 

Which lies in a valley below Lansdown. Tradition 
relates that its church was, in Saxon times, the mother 
church of Bath; at all events, it belonged to Bath 
Abbey from time immemorial. In the Confessor’s time, 
the manor was worth fifty shillings. At the Conquest, 
William Hosate held it; it was then worth £6. There 
is an agreement extant between him and the convent, 
of which Collinson gives the following translation :— 

“ In this writing is declared the agreement which 
IVilUam Hosate hath made with the abbot Ulfwold , 
the abbot Mlfrig , and the whole convent of Bath , 
concerning the land of Ceorlcumb ; that is to say , 
they have delivered into his hands the said land, 
















218 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


with ten oxen and sixty sheep, with an acre for 
sowing, on condition that he pay the monastery every 
year J62 rent, and that he go to the king’s hank, 
and pay tallage to the king. This is done on con¬ 
dition that he be faithful and obedient, to each abbot, 
and all the brethren, in all things; and if he shall 
violate the trust which he hath pledged, he shall 
forfeit the land, and be cursed by Christ, Saint 
Mary and Saint Peter, to whom this monastery is 
dedicated.” 

The manor remained in the hands of the clergy until 
the Reformation; the church patronage in the hands of 
the lord of the manor until the Rev. Walter Robins 
annexed it to the Bath grammar school, the master of 
which, the Rev. James Pears, is the present incumbent. 

The church, dedicated to St. Mary, presents marks 
of high antiquity, and was thoroughly repaired prior to 
the Reformation. The font, which is bowl-sliaped, is 
undoubtedly Saxon; it has a carved moulding, nearly 
obliterated with yellow wash, and stands near the west 
window. The church is 50 feet long by 18 broad, and 
consists of a nave and chancel. The windows are of 
the Perpendicular style; one of them, on the south, 
retaining portions of stained glass, a male figure, with 
the words JPlavta, and a female face, which 

I believe to be the Virgin Mary. The pulpit is of 
stone, a foot thick, and nine feet in circumference. 
The door, which is on the south, has a plain Saxon 
arch, supported by pillars. Near the altar is a beau¬ 
tiful monument, by Pord, of Bath, to Lady Barbara 


















Mil 


CHARI.COMBE CHURCH. 












































© 


st. Stephen’s chuecii. 




219 


Montague, who died in the year 1766, representing her 
reclining on a bible, placed on a pillar. Near it a tablet 
to the memory of Sarah Fielding, whose epitaph in the 
Abbey church has been already noticed. Externally, 
the church, with its massive buttresses, has a peculiar 
appearance. Its square turret, containing an ancient 
bell, projects from its roof, and is supported by three 
clumsy corbels fixed to the west wall. It seems to 
have been originally flat, the battlements being subse¬ 
quently added ; it is shadowed by a luxuriant yew-tree. 
The graveyard is well kept. 

The views here are finely studded with wood, and 
extend to the Wiltshire downs. On our return, we 
pass the Eev. Mr. Widdrington’s allotment land, with 
its busy group of tenantry. 

Charlcombe is in the Bath Union, and contains an 
area of 571 acres, paying a net rental of £1,200. Its 
population, in 1791, was 50, and is now 84. In 1770 
its poor’s rates were £22, and now average £51 per 
annum. 

St. Stephen’s church, at the end of Beacon hill on 
the Lansdown road, is a chapel of ease to Walcot. 
It is of the Decorated period, and cruciform. Its tower 
is 120 feet high, in three stages; beneath is a massive 
doorway, forming a porch to the church. Its east 
window has been beautifully decorated with stained 
glass by the rector, to form a monument to the memory 
of his father; and the western transept contains a 
Florid Gothic mortuary font, of Caen stone, the gift of 
the Findar family. Its roof is an open timber one. 

----— 









220 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


It contains 700 seats, 450 of which are free. Towards 
the expenses the Diocesan society contributed £300, 
the Incorporated £400 ; the remainder will be defrayed 
by voluntary subscriptions. The architect of this beau¬ 
tiful edifice is Mr. James Wilson, E. S. A. Near the 
church are twelve almshouses, of the domestic Tudor 
style, not yet completed. 

A little below is Lansdown grove, the residence of 
Sir William Cockburn, bart., wherein are some of 
Barker’s celebrated paintings. Proceeding down the 
road, we come to Bellevue house, where Gainsborough 
resided. It is not a little singular that Bath should 
proudly boast among her citizens, of the two first and 
truest of English painters of rustic life and rural sceneiy. 

Thence crossing the road, we come to Montpellier 
row, wherein is Christ church, erected at the instiga¬ 
tion of the late archdeacon Daubeny, in the year 1798, 
for the accommodation of the poor. It contains a fine 
altar-piece and organ, and has 800 free seats, and an 
embattled tower with pinnacles. 

St. James’s-square occupies the poet Anstey’s garden. 
In 1790 he received notice to quit, in consequence of its 
being required for building on; upon which he wrote 
the celebrated epigram :— 

“ Ye men of Bath, who stately mansions rear, 

To wait for tenants from—the Lord knows where, 

Would you pursue a plan that cannot fail, 

Erect a madhouse and enlarge your gaol ?” 

Now it happened that, at this period, the doors of the 









THE ROYAL CRESCENT. 


221 


© - 

gaol were open, there being no prisoners to confine, 
and lie was thus answered :— 

“ While crowds arrive, fast as our streets increase, 

And the gaol only is an empty space ; 

While health and ease here court the grave and gay, 
Madmen and fools alone will keep away.” 

The beech trees, of which he was particularly fond, 
were transplanted to Mr. Wiltshire’s grounds at Bath- 
ford, where they still flourish. 

The Boyal-crescent is a splendid row of thirty houses, 
of the Ionic order, erected, in 1769, by the younger 
Wood. The frontages of the two, which terminate it 
at either end, are very imposing. Of it Madame 
D’Arblay said, that it “ adds all the delights of nature 
which beautify the Parades to the excellencies of archi¬ 
tecture which adorn the Circus.” 

Margaret’s chapel, in Brock-street, was opened by 
the eloquent, but misguided Dr. Dodd, in 1770. 

In the year 1754, Wood laid out the ground for 
Gay-street and the Circus. The latter is a magnificent 
circle of houses, its stages being of the Doric, Ionic, 
and Corinthian orders, presenting, says Collinson, every 
ornament of each. The pillars of the principal story 
support a cornice decorated with a series of ornaments 
cut in stone. “ It is worthy,” says Smollett, “ to be 
called the Cestus of Venus and it has been compared 
to the Coliseum of Borne turned outside in. The 

i 

late Sir John Soane, B.A., professor of architecture, in 
one of his lectures, to give an idea of the immense 

I 

© -- -* - 















222 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


size of the Coliseum, had two models made, placing 
that of the Circus at Bath within the area of the other. 
The effect on a moonlight night is very imposing. In 
its centre is a reservoir of water, with some trees, which 
rather interfere with its splendour from the gloom they 
impart. 

In Gay-street is a house profusely ornamented with 
wreaths carved from the Bath stone, erected by Wood 
for the residence of Mr. Gay, the proprietor of the 
land ; and for many years occupied by Mrs. Piozzi, the 
friend of Dr. Samuel Johnson, whose original crayon 
portrait, by Trotter, is now in the possession of Dr. 
Hodges, who resides next door, inherited by him from 
his uncle, the late Rev. Dr. Parmer, master of Emanuel 
college, Cambridge, a friend of Johnson, and the author 
of an essay on the learning of Shakspere. 

The Assembly rooms, situate between Alfred and 
Bennett streets, are considered to be the finest suite of 
public rooms in the kingdom. They were erected in 
1771, by the younger Wood, at an expense of £20,000, 
raised among seventy subscribers. They consist of a 
ball room, 107 feet long and 43 in height and breadth; 
an octagon reception room, 48 feet in diameter, in 
which are full-length portraits of the late Masters of the 
Ceremonies—Beau Nash and Mr. Heaviside, painted 
by the late Mr. Thomas Shew, Captain Wade, by 
Gainsborough, and Mr. Tyson, by Mr. James, a Bath 
artist. The card room is 72 feet by 27, the reading 
room, 48 feet by 20, the tea room, 68 feet by 43, and 
octagon vestibule, 28 feet in diameter ; in addition to 




















LAN SD OWN. 


223 


which there are billiard rooms and cloak rooms, and 
a residence for the lessee; without staircases, the whole 
suite occupying one floor. These rooms have had two 
predecessors. In 1708, Harrison built the Assembly 
rooms, on the Walks; while Mrs. Lindsay, a celebrated 
singer, conducted a rival establishment in the imme¬ 
diate neighbourhood. At this period, Mrs. Hayes, who 
succeeded Harrison, made a large fortune, and was 
espoused by Lord Hawley, still continuing her tenancy. 
The duke of Chandos kept a lodging-house; while a 
reverend archdeacon thought it no disgrace to keep a 
wine vault. The Lower rooms were destroyed by fire 
in 1820, with the exception of the portico; and York- 
street runs over the site of Lindsay’s ball room. 

Edgar-buildings were commenced on a plot of ground 
called the Town Acre, in 1761; and Milsom-street, 
which was intended for private residences, in 1764. 
One of its piles of buildings, on the St. Michael’s side, 
formerly called Somerset place, presents a noble centre, 
with two wings, and occupying the site of the old 
parish workhouse. The octagon chapel was opened 
in 1767. 


Han&rohm* 

A pleasant walk of three-quarters of a mile from St. 
Stephen’s church, brings us to Beckford’s tower, and 
as we walk we ever and anon turn round to look upon 
the beautiful city, with its southern suburbs rising up 
the hills beyond Beechen-clifF. On our right hand we 
















© 


224 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


© 


have the village of Charlcombe, with the hills on the 
eastern aspect, while Banner, Kings, and Hampton 
downs, bound our extensive view with nature’s massive 
framework. 

The Wesleyan college, to be called New Kings wood, 
is intended to be erected at the end of Springfield-place, 
after a design by Mr. James Wilson, in the Tudor style, 
and will consist of a centre containing a dining hall; a 
west wing, school rooms, and other offices ; while 
the chapel, with the governor’s house, will occupy 
the east wing; the whole forming the letter H, facing 
the south. 

The tower, which, until Mr. Beckford’s death, con¬ 
tained a magnificent collection of objects of taste and 
splendour connected with literature and the fine arts, 
rises to an altitude of 154 feet. The lower portion, to 
the height of 130 feet, is quadrangular; above this an 
octangular story of twelve feet is surmounted by a 
lantern twelve feet high. From the lantern a most 
extensive prospect is obtained; and although the city of 
Bath is hidden from view, by the tower being placed 
so far from the brow of the hill, this is to be regarded 
as a beautiful feature rather than as a defect. 

The tower narrowly escaped conversion into a beer- 
shop, having been sold by auction, in May, 1847. Mr. 
Beckford’s daughter, the duchess of Hamilton, prevented 
this outrage to good taste by repurchasing it, presenting 
it as a personal gift to the Kev. Mr. Widdrington, 
enabling him, in his official capacity, to dedicate it and 
its picturesque grounds as a chapel and cemetery for 
the parish of Walcot. 




















® ■-® 

LAN SD OWN. 225 

This has been done in correct taste by Mr. Goodridge, 
the architect of the structure, in the Byzantine style. 

We enter the grounds through a noble arched gateway, 
most elaborately enriched, and surmounted by a cam¬ 
panile, the effect being enhanced by the introduction 
of the beautiful piers and railings which surrounded 
Mr. Beckford’s tomb in the Abbey cemetery, whose 
remains are now removed from thence and deposited on 
the precise spot desired by himself. The beautiful red 
granite sarcophagus, an appropriate tomb, was made 
under his own directions. As a descendant of the 
Saxon kings, he is interred above ground, his tomb 
bearing his arms, and his own beautiful lines. 

“ William Beckford, Esq., 

Late of Fonthill, Wilts, 

Died 2nd May, 1844, 

Aged 84.” 

“-Eternal Power, 

Grant me, through obvious clouds, one transient gleam 
Of thy bright essence in my dying hour !” 

Passing Beckford’s tower we come upon the open 
I down, where every step adds to the beauty of our rich 
view ; on the one side Kelston round-hill, with far 
distant ranges; on the other Colerne and King’s down, 
the noble eminence of Solsbury standing up alone, as 
the centre of an unrivalled view of the Wiltshire downs. 
Three miles from Bath is Chapel farm, so called from 
its having been in ancient times an hospital for poor 
j pilgrims journeying to and from Glastonbury, the chapel 

a 

-® 


© 




















226 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


I 

i 


I 


of which, being dedicated to St. Lawrence, is supposed 
by many to give its name to the down ; but it seems 
more probable that, finding it already named Lantes- 
dune , or Lansdown, the chapel w r as dedicated to the 
saint above mentioned, that it might be called Lawrence 
down. This chapel was, prior to the Reformation, a 
rectory belonging to the monks of Bath, who were lords 
of the manor of Lansdown. In 1551, it was granted, 
with Woolley, to Lynnes, lord Clinton and Saye, lord 
high admiral, by letters patent from Edward YI.; he 
subsequently sold it, and after passing through various 
hands, it now belongs to William Blathwayt, esq., 
who holds under the manor of East Greenwich, which 
possesses the royalties of this and several adjacent 
manors. The only relic of the chapel is a decorated 
window; the farm-house was erected in the reign of 
James I. Near it, on St. Lawrence’s day, August 10, 
a large fair, consisting principally of cattle and cheese, 
is annually held. 

We can return from Lansdown by the bridle-road 
leading to Weston. Passing the cricket ground, we 
come to a gate on the opposite side of the road, which 
we must cross, for in a little hollow is Saint Elphage’s 
Well, the water of which flows into an ancient stone 
coffin, and is of singular purity. There are many of 
these holy springs in various parts of the country, for 
in ancient times, when laws were almost unknown, the 
good old monks consecrated them to the church, lest 
the baron of the hill should turn the stream from the 
more humble and dependent tiller of the plain. 






















LAN SD OWN. 227 

iSat'nt lElpfjacje’s WLtM, 


Oh, ye ! who, led by superstition, sought 

This holy stream in pi’ayer your woes to heal; 

Where blind, and lame, and impotent were brought 
To weep, to pray, and on the greensward kneel, 

And then to lave within the crystal stream 

Which from the rock came gushing to your aid, 

And, bubbling o’er, reflecting heaven’s own beam, 

Flowed to the vale to fertilize each glade,— 

Ye saw not, as we do, in happier days, 

The heavenly Rock from which life’s waters flow; 

And yet in faith ye utter’d man’s faint praise, 

And bless’d the Saint—a man long since laid low. 

4 . 

Pure, as of old, the Saint’s sweet stream flows down, 

And through a coffin murmurs as it falls— 

An emblem of his faith, which each must own 
Who life and death, and future hope recals. 

The valleys about Lansdown are noted for being the 
resort of gipsies, the last remains of the nomadic tribes, 
and which may not inaptly be called the Indians of 
Europe. Their children beg of us in a strange foreign- 
sounding idiom. Their black-eyed lasses will ask us 
to dive under the mystic wave of futurity, while the 
dark and handsome father of the camp will bow to us 
civilly, yet disdainfully, as we pass by, as though he 
would say,— 

The rich may sleep on their beds of down, 

I envy them not—on my broad estate 
Have I not the fragrant heath-clad down, 

With the oak to curtain my bed of state ? 

©--*- 


© 



















228 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


I will tell thee where I love to rest— 

On a streamlet’s hank in a shady vale, 

And, like the lark o’er its mossy nest, 

To carol at eve my light-hearted tale. 

Sweet is the music from babbling streams, 

Which dash o’er the rocks near the gipsey’s fire ; 

Sweet ’tis to dance ’neath the bright moonbeams, 

What more can the richest on earth desire ? 

Lansdown is covered witli ancient earthworks and 
camps of various dimensions, and the high road near 
the Monument passes through a perfect Homan camp. 

Near the fourth milestone is the Monument erected, 
says Wood, by Lord Lansdown, in 1720, to the 
memory of his grandfather, Sir Bevil Grenville, near 
the spot on which he fell. This trophy, he continues, 
consists of two quadrangular pedestals set on each 
other, without any proportion or harmony betwixt 
them; and these being surmounted by an Attic base, 
a cap of dignity, bearing the figure of a griffon passant 
whose breast is supported by a shield, finishes the top 
of the monument. The arms of England resting on 
the joint arms of the duke of Albemarle and the earl of 
Bath, Sir Bevil’s son, with military ornaments under 
them, adorn the right side of the body of the pedestal, 
and were intended to allude to the restoration of king 
Charles II. The left side has a bas-relief, alluding to 
the actions of Lord Lansdown in Hungary, consisting 
of military trophies ; the Grenville arms, borne on 
a Homan eagle, with inscriptions, and the date Sept. 
12, 1683, occupy the centre. On the north side are 
















LAN SD OWN. 


-® 

229 

some verses, to the memory of Sir Bevil, signed 
William Cartwright, 1643 ; while others, signed 
Martin Llewellen, refer to the deeds of Sir Richard 
Grenville, “who,” says Wood, “in a single ship fought 
the whole Spanish armada, in 1591 !” A quotation, 
from lord Clarendon’s History of the Rebellion, is cut 
on the front of the pedestal. 

On the 6th July, 1643, Sir William Waller occupied 
the down, and fortified his position; he then sent a 
body of horse to provoke the royal army, who were 
encamped at Marshfield, but they, seeing his strong 
position, declined the battle. Upon this, Sir William 
detached all his horse to attack them in the rear. This 
they did, and routed them ; but Sir Nicholas Stanning, 
with 300 men, drove the reserve back, and prince 
Maurice, rallying the horse and foot, chased them 
up the hill. On the brow there were breast works 
mounted with cannon, on either flank a thick wood 
lined with musketry, the horse and foot being ranged 
on the down in the rear; two parties of royalists were 
sent to clear the woods, the horse and foot up the road; 
these were charged by the Parliament army and routed. 

Sir Bevil Grenville leading a body of pikemen in the 
centre, flanked on the right by a party of horse, and 
foot on the left, in the face of their cannon and small 
shot, twice gained the top of the hill. On the third 
charge he was mortally wounded, and died the next 
day at the parsonage of Cold Ashton. Although his 
horse failed, his musketeers caused the enemy to give 
way, and the two parties sent out having cleared the 














230 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


wood, the king’s army drove out the enemy, and planted 
themselves on the ground they had won. This action 
was attended with great loss to both parties, “ who 
were,” says Clarendon, “ sufficiently tired and battered 
to be contented to stand still.” Of 2,000 king’s horse 
which marched in the morning, only 600 were left 
at nightfall. . Sir William Waller retreated to Bath, 
leaving behind him a great store of arms and munitions 
of war. 

Taking the road to the left of the monument, a walk 
of three miles, through delightful scenery, conducts us 
to the village of 

1 mutk, 

i 7 

Remarkable for its romantic valley and rocks, celebrated 
not only for their picturesque beauty, but also for their 
singular geology. A deep rugged glen, three quarters 
of a mile in length, opens suddenly in a low country, 
and presents in its rocky sides a singular contrast to 
the adjacent fertility. Through the glen a little stream 
dashes over a stony bed; and although the quiet is 
disturbed by unpicturesque mills, enough remains to 
i make it peculiarly attractive to the painter, the geologist, 
and the antiquary. 

The rocks in their highest elevation rise to the height 
of 200 feet, and are formed of layers of limestone, 
and what Warner denominates petro-silex, alternately. 
Towards the west there is a vein of coal and another 
of lead, both formerly worked. In the centre of .the 
glen we find a bed of limestone, 1,200 feet in breadth, 




















fit 
































_ 









LANGRIDGE. 


- © 

231 j 

enclosed in two layers of petro-silex, of nearly the same * 
horizontal dimensions, all dipping west-north-west in 
an angle of sixty degrees with the horizon. Imbedded 
in the limestone are lead and iron ore, and barytes, 
with a large species of anomia and rock diamonds, with 
belemnites, astroites, and ammonites; the petro-silex 
on the east joins the limestone ngain, and becomes a ; 
puddingstone or millstone. 

A square Roman camp, containing an area of twelve 
acres, defended by a broad ditch and double earthwork, 
crowns the northern cliff. Many Roman coins, and 
other antiquities, are frequently discovered. 

This excursion, although a little out of our prescribed 
limits, will amply repay the tourist, who will find every 
accommodation in the village. 

Near Chapel farm, the road to 

llangritnje 

Traverses one of the most beautiful passes in the neigh- ! 
bourhood of the city. Were it not for the fertility of j 
the hill sides, we might imagine ourselves in one of 
those beautiful glens which diversify the scenery of 
Cumberland or Lancashire. It is, indeed, unrivalled, 
and presents a decided contrast to any round the city; 
we are completely in the country. A w r alk of a mile 
brings us to the village church, which, being situate on 
the declivity, at an angle of the road near the old 
manor-house, is hidden by that building until we arrive I 
at its grave-yard. 

The origin of its name has puzzled many antiquaries. 






















232 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Dr. Stukely supposes it to be derived from its proximity 
to the Roman road, while Collinson says it received its 
name from the long ridge of hill on which it is situate. 
Its beautiful situation and fragrant herbage would 
suggest Lawn ridge. At the Conquest it was called 
Lancheris , and William gave it to the bishop of 
Coutance, it being then of the value of sixty shillings 
yearly. In the reign of Edward II. it came into 
i the possession of the Walslies, who held it for many 
centuries; from them it came to the Walronds, one of 
whom sold it to William Blathwayt, esq., of Dyrliam, 
in whose family the manor and advowson still continue. 

The old manor-house stands near the church, the 
keys of the latter building being kept there. It pos¬ 
sesses an ecclesiastical Gothic window, a square Norman 
tower with narrow lights, and other marks of antiquity. 

The church is remarkable for its picturesque situation 
and exquisite neatness; it has a square Norman tower 
with a gabled roof, containing three ancient bells, with 
Latin inscriptions. There are two porches, one now 
used as a vestry, which opens behind the communion 
rails. Entering by the south porch we are struck by 
its beautiful Anglo-Norman arch, near which are the 
remains of a sessile lavatorium. The w r est window is 
open to the nave, and beneath the tower is a mutilated 
female figure with the hands joined in a supplicating 
posture. The nave is divided from the chancel by a 
fine Norman zigzag arch seven feet wide. Near it 
is a sepulchral brass to the memory of Elizabeth, the 
wife of Robert Walsh, who died April 20th, 1441 ; 


















WOOLLEY. 


233 


and one of Robert Walsh, who died in 1427, in the 
chancel; and as his initials are in the east window, we 
may fix on the period of its erection. It is of the 
Perpendicular period, consisting of two lights and three 
mullions, with two portraits ; our Saviour on one side, 
with a bishop, in all probability the patron saint, on 
the other. 

Langridge is a small parish of 656 statute acres, with 
a population of 110, paying a net rental of <£1,075, 
and poor’s rates to the amount of £24 per annum. 

Near the church we cross a rude stone bridge over 
the babbling stream, which flows along near the foot¬ 
path for the next two miles, and which we again cross 
at the mill on our ascent to the village of 

TOtootlci), 

This walk is beautiful in the extreme, and, as w r e 
ascend the hill, we have the mill immediately below, 
while Swainswick crowns the opposite eminence beneath 
Solsbury hill, and we catch a glimpse of Bathampton 
villas, with the heights of Hampton down. At the 
Conquest it was called Willege, and was, as we have 
before mentioned, annexed to Bathwick, both belonging 
to the abbey of Wherwell, in Hampshire. At the Re¬ 
formation, although the livings remained consolidated, 
the manor passed into other hands. 

The church was built at the expence of Mrs. Parkins, 
about 1755. I differ from Collinson, who calls it “ an 
elegant modern building.” It is an example of the want 
of taste in ecclesiastical architecture which prevailed 













234 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


during tlie last century, and early part of the present; 
it is debased Roman. 

Woolley contains a population of 90 souls. Its area 
is 366 acres, while its poor’s rates average £29, on a 
net rental of £930. 

We find no mention of 

In Domesday Book ; so that if it had been so great a 
place as the authors of the monkish fable of king 
Bladud and his pigs would have us believe, it had sadly 
decayed during the occupation of the Britons, Danes, 
and Saxons. The truth is, the origin of all places is 
involved in obscurity; and the monks, like the novelists 
of the present day, were fond of investing places with 
romantic interest. It is, indeed, remarkable that a 
city whose every hill is crowned with earthworks and 
encampments, in whose vales you cannot dig twenty 
feet without meeting with some antiquity or another, 
should have been invested with so swinish an origin, 
when so much more noble a one existed in her splendid 
British remains and Roman antiquities. I am inclined 
to believe that the noble eminence of Solsbury was a 
Danish camp in the time of Sweyn, king of Denmark, 
and that he gave his name to the village; and this 
appears the more probable, for a Runic inscription was 
lately discovered in Denmark, relating to one of the 
sea kings who died at Bath, in Britain. 

Solsbury camp occupies the triangular summit of a 
hill above this village. A deep defile encompasses three 

















®-—® 

SWAINS WICK. 235 

sides; on the fourth, the Avon, skirted by beautiful 
meadows, flows nearly at its base. Its summit is sur¬ 
rounded by a vallum cut out of the escarpment of 
the hill, and contains nearly thirty acres; its western 
entrance is protected by an earthwork, opposite to which 
are some long barrows; on its south-eastern side there 
is another entrance. A large portion of the stones, 
which formed its northern agger, have been removed to 
repair the roads. This was one of the most important 
of the ancient British camps. Its view would comprise 
Berewyke and Hampton camps, immediately below ; 
on the south-west, Mendip, Downhead, Maesbury, 

Pen hill and Black down; on the south, Long Knoll 
and Alfred’s tower; on the east, the Wiltshire downs, 
with Bratton castle ; while on the north, the view, 
though rich in the extreme, is bounded by the Cots- 
wold hills. A signal from the beacon on Mendip, or 
Bratton, in Wiltshire, would, by its means, arouse all 
the camps to any danger from the south. Its area is 
now a corn field, divided among various parties. 

Camden, in his Britannia, says, “ The Saxons laid 
siege to Bath in 520, and were beaten by Arthur on 
Badon hill. This seems to be the same we now call 
Lansdown, hanging over a little village called Bath- 
stone, and shewing to this day bulwarks and a rampire.” 

The writer of an old book in the Chapman Collection 
says, “ Badon hill, now called Lansdown, overhangs 
the village of Batlieaston.” Both are in error; but 
whether Arthur beat the Saxons from the fortified 
Hampton, Bannerdown, Kingsdown, or Solsbury, I 

@ 


© 










VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


®- 

236 

leave for the investigation of antiquaries, since these 
hills may be said to overhang Batheaston, while 
Lansdown does not. 

Swainswick church presents many styles : its south 
porch is perpendicular, the door being Anglo-Norman, 
with chevron ornament; its font is Norman ; its tower 
is massive and peculiar, containing five bells ; it has no 
external opening. It is supported by three columns 
with early English capitals, and heads ornamenting 
them, forming two arches ; its windows are of various 
styles. Near the south door is a decorated piscina, 
boarded over, with the exception of its upper portion ; 
the arch between the nave and chancel is early English; 
the north aisle is separated from the nave by Perpen¬ 
dicular arches. In the north-east corner is a chapel, 
separated from the chancel by a decorated arch ; on 
the outside of the north door there is a canopied recess 
for the Virgin, to whom the church was dedicated. 

The celebrated William Prynne was born at the 
manor house, near the church, in 1600. Educated at 
the Bath Grammar school, he was sent Commoner to 
Oriel college at the age of 16, took his degree of B.A. 
in 1620, and removed to Lincoln’s inn. His mother 
was a daughter of William Sherston, who, after the 
charter of queen Elizabeth, was eight times mayor, and 
five times member for the city. Prynne was recorder 
of Bath in king Charles’s time; but was deprived of 
his office during the Commonwealth, undergoing impri¬ 
sonment. He was restored to liberty at Cromwell’s 
decease, and was reappointed recorder of Bath. Prynne 


© 





































































































SWAINS WICK. 


237 


was a voluminous writer, and at liis death bequeathed 
his works to the library of Lincoln’s inn. From the 
10th section of his Brevia Parliamentciria Rediviva, 
the portion relating to Bath in the Chapman Collection, 
we obtain all the indentures relating to the election of 
members for Bath, which were then extant in the Tower 
Bolls and Petty Bag office, he having been appointed at 
the Best oration keeper of the Tower records. One of 
these, issued in the first year of queen Mary’s reign, is 
curious, for she is therein styled “ Supreme head on 
earth of the church of England and Ireland,” a title 
which few are aware that she used. He also sdves us 

o 

some curious particulars of his own election in 1660. 
In this year, it appears that, without any solicitation, he 
and Alexander Popham were to be elected, upon which 
two other candidates sent letters to the corporation, 
offering their services. These not being attended to, 
they presented a petition to the king, who summoned 
the mayor before the privy council, to answer its allega* 
tions; he, in defence, stated that he was detained in 
London to keep him from Bath during the election; so 
he was released. During the mayor’s absence, they 
procured a precept from the sheriff for the election, 
hoping that it would take place before his return. He 
hurried down, and Popham and Prynne were returned 
by him and the assembled corporation. Henry Chap¬ 
man then demanded that all the freemen’s votes should 
be taken; and on the mayor’s refusal, he, being captain 
of the trained band, ordered his drummer to beat 
through the city, summoning the freemen to meet at 


















238 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

the Guildhall, who proceeded to an election. “ At that 
time,” says Prynne, “ there were 200 householders in the 
city, of whom forty attended, and returned the other two 
candidates.” This return the mayor refused to seal, 
so the captain sealed it with his own and companions’ 
seals. The sheriff sent both to the House of Commons, 
who declared Popham and Prynne to be the sitting 
members. The captain seems to have carried things 
with a high hand, for he seized the mayor and eleven 
citizens, members of the corporation, under the plea of 
then being disaffected, and committed them to prison. 
Prynne was interrupted in his duties as recorder, when 
going to open the sessions, for Chapman procured a 
warrant to seize nine of the corporation, whom he sent 
under escort to Taunton ; but the sheriff refusing to 
take them to gaol, they were released. Prynne died 
in 1669, and is buried in the chapel of Lincoln’s inn. 

Swainswick is in the Bath Union. Its population in 
1841 was 572, on an area of 845 acres, paying a net 
rental of 123,585. Its poor’s-rates in 1778 were £15, 
immediatly before the union they were £126, and are 
now £100 per annum. It contains the populous manor 
of Tatwick, existing in two portions in Edward the 
Confessor’s time, when they were worth together 
twenty shillings. At the Concpiest they were given to 
Bath abbey, then being valued at forty-five shillings. 

On the north side of Solsbury is the pretty vale of 
Chillcombe, where the reservoirs for the supply of 
the city under the new Water act are constructed. 
Here we pass over successive intrenchments, or lynchets, 

©---—® 


i 
















SWAINS WICK. 


239 


as they are called, this being the side of Solsbury most 
likely to be surprised. 

The down above called Charmy down, a corruption 
of Charming down—a name it well deserves from the 
beauty of its prospects—is occupied by the farm of the 
president and governors of the Bath hospital. It is 
covered with British earthworks and intrencliments, of 
which I have in vain sought for an account. In the 
field immediately behind the house is a Druid’s temple, 
similar to Stanton Drew. One stone still stands ; 
although the others are half hidden by the turf, the 
circle may still be traced. In “ Tumpy field,” the 
plough has passed through several long ridges of ancient 
stone heaps, and in it are four barrows, the largest 
of which I measured, and found to be 100 yards in 
circumference and 20 feet high; these will soon be 
obliterated by the plough. Keeping the new road 
from the farm to the Gloucester road, which it joins 
four miles from Bath, I saw on Hartley down, in a 
field belonging to Major Pickwick, another barrow of a 
horseshoe form, from its having probably been opened. 

The view of Bath from Charmy down is very fine, 
as we get another form of the crescentic vale; Hamp¬ 
ton on the one side, and Solsbury on the other, form¬ 
ing its limits, while from the opposite brow we have 
Cold Ashton and Marshfield. 

Leaving Charmy down we pass by the footpath to 
Holt down, whereon is St. Catherine’s well, the course 
of the stream arising from which we pursue to the 
' beautiful vale of 















240 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


St. (ftatfjertne. 

The views as we descend Holt down are very pleasing, 
the hills forming a natural amphitheatre, enclosing the 
vale, where the priors of Bath had a grange, the manor 
having been in their possession from time immemorial. 
It is not mentioned in Domesday Book, but its church 
dedicated to St. Catherine, the patron saint of the 
citizens of Bath, bears marks of remote antiquity, 
although nearly rebuilt by prior John Cantlow in 1499. 

Its square embattled tower, which contains four bells, 
is connected with the nave by an arch resting on Nor¬ 
man capitals of a pecuhar design, and has a small 
Norman window. The square Norman font, of Caen 
stone, is adorned with interlacing circular sculpture. 
The nave is 27 feet long; in it is a beautiful pulpit 
against the north wall, still retaining a portion of its 
decorations, which appear to have resembled in style 
and colouring the screen at Wellow. Above the arch, 
between the nave and chancel, the Ten Commandments 
are painted, for here the east window has not been 
blocked up by them. The chancel is eighteen feet 
long; in it is the tomb of William Blanchard, of the 
seventeenth century; consisting of a pediment and cor¬ 
nice, supported by two Corinthian columns, their capi¬ 
tals being gilt. He is clothed in the half armour of 
king Charles’s time, his wife attired as was then the 
fashion. Both kneel, while on the pediment are three 
daughters kneeling in a row, with the son kneeling at 
a reading desk. The epitaph is on a tablet, the date 
















ST. CATHERINE. 


241 


1631. The chancel contains memorials of the Blan¬ 
chards and Parrys, the lords of the manor. The east 
window contains the name of the builder, John Cantlow, 
and the date, with the arms of the abbey—St. Peter’s 
key crossed by a sword, and the prior’s mitre; in its 
smaller compartments are roses, with the midday sun 
frequently repeated. The other windows also contain 
them, and an eagle with a scroll from his beak bearing 
the words prior Cantlow. The exterior of the church 
is very pleasing, from the regularity of its architecture 
and its square Perpendicular windows. It was erected 
during the period when the Gothic art was in its greatest 
perfection. The interior was repaired during the year 
1847, when a new communion table, of polished cedar, 
with velvet cover and monogram, and a service of 
communion plate, were presented by the Hon. Emily 
Anne Strutt, in accordance with the will of her father. 
Hear it is the prior’s barn, of a cruciform shape, looking j 
from a distance like a chapel with transepts. 

Of St. Catherine’s court, built also by Cantlow, wc i 
have the following curious account, from a lease granted 
by the prior, in 1524, to Thomas Llewellyn:—“ The 
capital messuage called Katherine’s court, stands near i 
the church; the court of the same between the church 
hey and the house, and coming in an entry. On the 
right hand a hall, and behind the hall a wliitehouse (the 
dairy), and on the side a parlor and a buttery, with a 
chimney both in the hall and in the parlor. Between 
the wliitehouse and parlor, stairs of stone going into a 
chamber ceiled over the parlor, with a chimney in it; 

R 















242 


TILLAGE RAMBLES. 


over the liall a wool loft, over the entry a chamber, by 
the entry a vacant ground; and over and under cham¬ 
bers ; and also another hall with a vault underneath, 
and over a malt loft adjoining the same, two chambers. 
At the end of the hall another malt loft, with a mill 
called a quyver, and a place underneath to winnow 
malt; all this under one roof.” Attached to it was a 
vineyard, the monks of Bath being celebrated for their 
skill in the cultivation of grapes. At the Reformation 
it formed a portion of king Henry’s gift to his daugh¬ 
ter, Ethelred Malte, who brought it in marriage to 
John Harington; whose son, Sir John, sold it to William 
Blanchard, in consequence of the great expense of en¬ 
tertaining queen Elizabeth. Erom the Blanchards it 
came into the possession of James Walters, of Batli- 
easton, by marriage; his heiress brought it to the 
family of Parry, whose heiress marrying Hamilton Earl, 
it came into his possession; he sold it to Colonel Strutt, 
wdiose heiress is the present lady of the manor. 

The house is now divided into two portions, the 
farm and the court-house; the latter has an old garden 
i with terraces, and a beautiful porch of the period of 
| king Charles I., who is said by tradition to have once 
passed a night in the house. The hall, now divided, 
contains a fountain supplied from St. Catherine’s well, 
and an elaborate screen, surmounted by the arms of 
king Henry VII.—the united roses, with the garter, 
supported by the lion and dragon—for England and 
Wales. On either side of it are the letters C. R., put 
up, we believe, by Captain William Blanchard, who 


© 


















BATHEASTON. 


243 


was a loyalist in the civil wars. The drawing-room 
has a fine bay window facing the south, and in it is a 
beautiful sideboard of black oak ornamented with an¬ 
cient carving, representing the implements of Hebrew 
worship. 

St. Catherine is a vicarage attached to Batheaston, 
of which, prior to the Reformation, it was a chapelry. 
Its population was 159 in 1841; its area, 1041 acres, 
paying a net rental of £1540 ; its poor’s-rates in 1771 
were £12, in 1780 they were £26, prior to the forma¬ 
tion of the Bath union they were £114, and are now, 
on an average, £56 yearly. The winding vale hence to 

ISatDeagton 

Is very beautiful, and rich in the wild flowers of the 
sheltered hedgerows. Among its grassy slopes the 
ferns and mosses luxuriate, and a rivulet wends its way 
through the rich meadows. Here and there a cluster 
of neat cottages, or a gabled roofed farm, is disclosed 
to view by a sudden turn in the road, which for pedes¬ 
trians is singularly pleasant, the footpath being paved, 
no doubt by the old prior’s orders, from the ferry at 
Batheaston to this beautiful village. 

The parish of Batheaston with Amorel, forms a 
liberty exempt from the county jurisdiction, divided 
into two manors before the Conquest; one belonged to 
the king, the other to the church of Bath. The royal 
portion formed part of the lands sold by William Rufus 
to John of Tours, who reserved to the bishop the supe¬ 
rior royalties, although he gave the lands to the convent. 

























244 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


The Husseys, Pitzurzes, the Devereux, Scroops, Bote- 
lers, and Blunts, held it in succession under the bishops; 
in queen Mary’s reign it was given to the earl of Nor¬ 
thumberland. In 1667 the manorial rights were sold 
for £600 ; there has, however, been no court held for 
nearly a century, and no manorial rights claimed. 

By pope Nicholas’s survey, in 1292, the church, 
which belonged to Bath abbey, was valued at twelve 
marks, previous to which the monks and the vicar had 
disputed about the tithes. By agreement, in 1262, 
these were given to the vicar, with a house near the 
church, on condition that he should sustain all burdens, 

’ and maintain a chaplain for St. Catherine’s for the 
better support of whom the prior and convent agreed 
to build a residence, and allow seven bushels of wheat 
annually, reserving to themselves the rectorial tithes. 
The church is a beautiful building, dedicated to St. John 
the Baptist. It is of the Perpendicular period, having 
a nave, chancel, north and south aisles; the north aisle 
was rebuilt in 1833, when the whole edifice underwent 
j a thorough repair. The south porch has a decorated 
; arch, above which is a Perpendicular canopied niche, 
and on either side of the door a lavatorium. The nave 
is Perpendicular, divided from the chancel by a drop 
arch. Near the altar is a piscina, having a bracket 
supported by a head corbel, with a quatrefoil bowl, and 
a niche for a statue is on the south side. On the roof 
between nave and chancel is a plain campanile, formerly 
containing the saints’ bell. Its tower is of the Perpen¬ 
dicular period, quadrangular in four stages, embattled; 























BATHEASTON. 


245 


one of its buttresses containing a stair turret, sur¬ 
mounted by a beautiful pinnacle. It is 100 feet high, 
contains a niche on the east side, in which is the statue 
of an ecclesiastic, erroneously supposed to be the patron 
saint. The living is a vicarage, in the gift of Christ 
Church, Oxford; the Rev. Spencer Madan, A.M., is 
the present incumbent. 

Near the church is the country seat of the late John 
Wood, architect, whose memory the citizens of Bath 
must always revere, and some parish schools erected 
by the late vicar, the Rev. J. J. Conybeare, professor of 
poetry and Saxon to the university of Oxford. 

From the church there is a delightful walk to Bath, 
across the fields below Cliffe, leading to Lower Swains- 
wick and Grosvenor. 

The main portion of the village is at the junction of 
the Yia Badonica and fosse-way, forming the London 
road to Bath, along which it forms a straggling street. 

In the field above the deserted silk mill an attempt 
was made forty years since to find coal, but the works 
were interrupted by tapping a chalybeate spring, 
supposed to be connected with the hot waters of 
Bath, which is now conveyed in a stone channel to 
the mill stream immediately below. 

Batheaston mill, situated on the Avon, is of remote 
antiquity. From it the remains of a paved path may 
be traced, except where it has been obliterated by the 
highway, from the river to St. Catherine’s, locally 
called the Drangway. In the summer of 1844, I saw 
several Saxon remains discovered in the walls, during 
















©— 

246 

the rebuilding of the mill by the late respected Mr. 
Ambrose Emerson. Two portions of sculpture have 
been preserved in the eastern wall; one represents the 
good and bad spirit striving for a soul, the other, the 
scourging of our Lord. Several portions of Norman 
columns, similar to those found at the Abbey of Bath, 
were also built into the walls. 

Here is the ferry to Bathampton mill. Beyond the 
stream is a delightful walk, through the Hampton 
meadows, to Bath. 

Overlooking the road to the river, at a short distance 
from the high road, is the celebrated Batheaston villa, 
where Lady Miller presided as the high priestess of 
poetry. Here was the celebrated vase, found in 1769 
near Cicero’s villa, at Erescati. The custom was for 
the company to meet every fortnight, when then' com¬ 
positions, consisting of enigmas, sonnets, and a Erench 
species of composition called bouts rim^s, wherein 
rhymes were given for verses to be attached to them, 
were perused. 

The following quotation from Boswell’s Life of 
Johnson, by Croker, vol. v., p. 277, will explain the 
solemnities:—“ Lady Miller’s collection of verses by 
fashionable people, which were put into her vase at 
Batheaston villa,* near Bath, in competition for honorary 

* “ You must know,” says Horace Walpole, in one of his 
letters, “ that near Bath is erected a new Parnassus, composed 
of three laurels, a myrtle tree, a weeping willow, and a view of 
the Avon, which has been new christened Helicon. They hold 
a Parnassus fair every Thursday, give out rhymes and themes, 

© --- 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


© 
















©---- ( 3 ) 

BAILBROOK HOUSE. 247 


prizes, being mentioned, lie (Dr. Johnson) held them 
very cheap. ‘ Bouts rimes,' said he, ‘ is a mere conceit, 
and an old conceit now ,—I wonder how people were 
persuaded to write in that manner for this lady. 5 I j 
(Boswell) named a gentleman of his acquaintance who 
wrote for the vase.—Johnson : c He was a blockhead 
for his pains.’—Boswell: ‘ The duchess of North¬ 
umberland wrote.’—Johnson : 4 Sir, the duchess of 

Northumberland may do what she pleases ; nobody 
will say anything to a lady of her high rank. But 
I should be apt to throw-’s verses in his face.’ ” 

Returning to the city by the London road we pass 
some villas, which have a delightful prospect. To this 
place the turnpike gate was removed in 1829, when 
those in the vicinity of the city were taken down. 
Near it is Bailbrook house, now in the occupation of 
Mr. Terry, as a private asylum, in a beautiful situation : 
indeed, if natural beauties, and a healthy aspect, have 
any influence on the £e mind diseased,” this mansion 
combines them. 

At Lambridge we cross the brook that skirted our 

and all the flux of quality at Bath contend for the prizes. A 
Roman vase, dressed with pink ribbons and myrtles, receives the 
poetry, which is drawn out every festival; six judges of these i 
I Olympic games retire and select the brightest composition, which 
the respective successful acknowledge, kneel to Mrs. Calliope, 
(Miller), kiss her fair hand, and are crowned by it with myrtle, 
with—I don’t know what. You may think this a fiction or 
exaggeration. Be dumb, unbeliever! The collection is printed, j 
published,—yes, on my faith ! There are bouts rimes on a 
buttered muffin, by her grace the duchess of Northumberland.” 

®---© 




















248 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


© 

i 

walk through the vale of Langridge, which has, in 
addition to the mills we then met with, passed the one 
! called Dead mill, near Slaughter-lane, below Solsbury, 
and that belonging to Mr. Sturge, at Lower Swainswick. 

In 1834, a mineral spring, of a saline chalybeate 
quality, was discovered at Larkhall, near this spot, 
but it has since been neglected, and the Pump-room 
converted into a chapel. 

The celebrated Geological collection of the late Mr. 
Channing Pearce is preserved at Montague-house, near 
the bridge, opposite which is the road leading to the 
elegant suspension bridge, erected in 1830, by the 
late Thomas Shew, to open a communication with the 
pathway leading to the city by the Polly house and 
banks of the canal. 

The erection of Grosvenor-place commenced in 1790 ; 
three years after, an advertisement describes No. 23 as 
intended for a tavern and pleasure grounds, called the 
Grosvenor gardens : this building is now the flourishing 
educational establishment called Grosvenor college. 

We are now in the parish of Walcot St. Saviour’s, 
whose elegant church, of the Decorated period, is 
behind Beaufort buildings. It consists of a tower of 
three stages, embattled, with pinnacles, and containing 
a peal of eight bells, the gift of William Hooper, esq. ; 
a nave, separated from the side aisles by ten pillars, 
supporting a canopied roof ornamented with bosses, and 
lit by ten windows; a chancel, having a beautiful 
stained glass window of five lights, below which is an 
elegant altar piece. The pulpit and reading desk are 


© 



















KENSINGTON CHAPEL. 


249 


on opposite sides, and of equal height; the font is 
incongruous and out of character, and formerly stood 
in the church of Walcot St. Swithin. This building 
was erected in 1832, after a design by Mr. Pinch, 
on a site given by Miss Tanner. It contains 1,100 
sittings, of which 700 are free. The external appear- 
i ance is very beautiful; the windows have heads forming 

, corbels, but I think the canopy might have been 

omitted over the doorway. 

The school attached to the church is a neat Tudor 
building, erected in 1845, in Brookleaze-place. Here 
120 boys and 60 girls are daily instructed ; and there 
is a Sunday school, attended by 200 children, held in 
the same building. 

In Kensington-place is a proprietary chapel, not 
remarkable for architectural beauty, opened in 1795, 
at a short distance from the old Walcot poor-house. 
In the year 1808, James Waite, who was born in the 
house next door to the White Horse cellar, in 1700, 
died in this building. Por the greater portion of his life 
| he was a chairman. He perfectly remembered Walcot 
as a straggling rural village, without any poors’ rate. 
He remembered Lansdown road so steep that carriages 
I ran back—an accident which happened to queen Anne, 
whose coach, wanting a drag, overpowered the horses, 
and was stopped by main force by the footmen. At 
the bottom of Snow-hill stands Walcot house, whose 
pleasure grounds are now a timber yard; yet it still 
retains a relic of former days in the graceful sphinxes 
which surmount the columns at its entrance gate;— 















250 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


perhaps the most beautiful figures of the kind that ever 
were cast, combining all the elegance of the woman 
with the strength of the animal. 

The Eastern dispensary of Bath is a well arranged 
building in Cleveland-place, erected in 1845, from a 
design by Mr. Goodridge. It is attended daily by a 
physician and surgeon, the medical staff consisting of 
three physicians, three surgeons, and a resident medical 
officer. The dispensary was established in 1832; its 
object being to aid with medical advice the poor sick 
from any parish in or near Bath, attending with a 
subscriber’s recommendation; but it confines its home 
attendance to those only who reside in the parishes of 
Walcot St. Swithin’s, St. Saviour’s, and Bathwick. 

Opposite Walcot-parade, whereon was formerly a 
grange belonging to Bath Abbey, is a Wesleyan chapel, 
erected in 1815 ; a neat and commodious building, 
attached to which are congregational schools. 

The parish church of Walcot, situate at the junction 
of the fosse-way and Yia Julia, is dedicated to St. 
Swithin, bishop of Winchester, and confessor to king 
Ethelwolf. Like all the other Bath churches, it has 
been frecpiently rebuilt; the present structure was 
erected in the year 1780. A beautiful stained glass 
east window, representing the Ascension, was inserted 
during 1847. In September, 1829, the church clock 
was first illuminated, shortly after the introduction of 
gas into the city. No mention of this manor was 
made in Domesday Book. It derives its name from 
two Saxon words, weald , a wood, and cote , a dwelling;. 



























WALCOT STREET. 


251 


In bishop Roberts’ grant of land to the priory, in 
1280, its name was spelt Worlequet. By this grant 
the monastery possessed much land in the parish. 
Sherston, the first mayor under queen Elizabeth’s 
charter, cajoled his royal guest to include the greater 
portion of the manor within the liberties of the city. 
From 1691 to 1698, I find, from parish records, that 
it was so thinly inhabited that only six baptisms took 
place, there being neither funerals nor marriages during 
that period. In 1730, it was obliged to maintain a 
pauper of another parish, having none of its own • it 
was then a village, with two cloth mills, and but eighty 
houses. Its population in 1841 was 26,213; and its 
poor rates now amount on an average for five years to 
J05,705, on a net rental of .£135,926 ;—this includes 
the whole parish, which, for ecclesiastical purposes, 
has been divided into three, St. Swithin’s, St. Saviour’s, 
and Trinity. It is a place of remote antiquity. 

The history of Walcot-street—the old fosse-way— 
woidd occupy more space than we could spare; we 
must, therefore, be brief. The first object that strikes 
us is the Cemetery, a neat Anglo-Norman building 
forming its chapel, and occupying the site of the old 
Roman burial-ground, as is proved by the great number 
of cinerary urns and relics constantly discovered, the 
views from which are very picturesque and beautifid. 

Nearly opposite is the Bell inn, where the celebrated 
Colonel Townsend died, whose case, related by Dr. 
Cheyne, of Bath, in his “ English Malady, or Treatise 
on Nervous Diseases,” has appeared in many works. 















252 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


We shall abridge the Doctor’s account:—“ He could 
expire when lie pleased, and yet by an effort come to 
life again. He insisted on our seeing tlie trial made. 
Dr. Baynard, myself, and Mr. Skrine, felt his pulse; 
he laid himself down, Dr. B. placed his hand over the 
heart, I held his right hand, and Mr. Skrine a clean 
mirror over his mouth. I felt no pulse, the Doctor no 
action, and Mr. S. no moisture on the glass. Each of 
us, by turns, satisfied ourselves of his death; thinking 
so we were about to leave, but in half an hour he 
moved, the pulse returned, he spoke softly, and breathed 
gently: we had some conversation with him, and went 
away perfectly satisfied. The Colonel then altered his 
will, received the sacrament, and died calmly the same 
evening. His body was found perfectly healthy, with 
the exception of the right kidney, the diseased state of 
which was accounted for by the complaint under which 
he had laboured for many years.” 

Then we pass Cornwell-buildings, so named from the 
old conduit, Cara well. Below Axford-buildings, in 
Ladymead, is that excellent institution, the Bath Peni¬ 
tentiary, on which, in a city like this, there are more 
claims than can be attended to. Indeed, there is none 
that so powerfully appeals to our sympathies, for this 
aims at the reformation and restoration to a place in 
society of those victims who, in an unguarded moment, 
may truly be said— 

Sinless, to have sinned. 

The gardens in front of the houses in Ladymead 
were removed in IS29, and the road widened. 

















THE VINEYARDS. 253 

Dr. Jolmson resided at tlie Pelican inn when in Bath, 
and there Boswell visited him. 

Oc TJtnewar&g 

Were, during the early part of the last century, noted 
for the black cluster and Muscadine grape. Two vines, 
planted together, were fastened to stakes, at right 
angles, six feet apart. The produce was considerable; 
in 1719, sixty-nine hogsheads of wine were shipped 
from Bristol, at a price of ten guineas a hogshead. 
About 1730 the crops began to fail, the reason assigned 
for which was, that the springs being more backward 
the grapes were not matured before the winter. The 
circumstance is singular, as shewing the change of 
climate that has taken place. 

Lady Huntingdon’s chapel was erected in 1765, with 
a house for the minister, on some land purchased by 
the Countess for the purpose, and was opened on the 
6th of October, the celebrated Whitfield preaching in 
the morning, and Mr. Townsend, rector of Pewsey, in 
j the evening. Eomaine and Fletcher also occasionally 
preached, and in the next year John Wesley frequently 
officiated. “ At this period,” says the author of the 
“ Life and Times of Selina, Countess of Huntingdon,” 

“ Horace Walpole was in Bath, and thus described the 
chapel:—They have boys and girls, with charming 
voices, that sing hymns in parts. The chapel is very 
neat, with true Gothic windows. At the upper end is 
a broad hautpas of four steps advancing in the middle ; 
j at each end two eagles, with red cushions, for the parson 

®-- 




















254 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


and clerk; behind them three more steps, with an eagle 
for a pulpit; scarlet arm-chairs for all three; on either 
hand a balcony for ladies; the rest of the congregation 
sit on forms. Wesley is an elderly man, fresh-colored, 
his hair smoothly combed, with a little soup con of curl 
at the ends. Wondrous clever, he spoke his sermon so 
fast, and with so little accent, that it was like a lesson; 
there were parts and eloquence in it, but towards the 
end he exalted his voice, and acted very vulgar enthu¬ 
siasm.” Walpole says, at this time in Bath there was 
quite a rage among persons in high life to make parties 
to hear the different preachers who supplied the chapel; 
among others, he enumerates Lord Chancellor Camden. 
“ There was one thing,” says the author, in a foot-note, 
“ which he did not know of, a seat for bishops—a 
curtained pew inside the door—where they could hear 
without being seen; which the facetious Lady Betty 
Cobbe, the Countess’s cousin, used to call Nicodemus’s 
corner.” In November, Whitfield administered the 
sacrament, using no less than eight bottles of wine. 
“ Such a numerous assembly,” says he, “ of the mighty 
and noble, I never saw attend before in Bath.” He 
was shortly after succeeded by the celebrated Venn; 
afterwards the chapel was served by her ladyship’s 
chaplains alternately, and its pastor is now the Lev. 
John Owen. The chapel has a pulpit, pews, and a 
gallery on three sides, and the church liturgy is used 
in the service. 

Near it is the plain Anglo-Norman chapel, of the 
followers of the late Edward Irving, and the parish 















st. Michael’s church. 


255 


schools of Walcot St. Switliin’s, a neat building in the 
Roman style, erected, after a design by Mr. Wilson, in 
three stages, to suit the inequality of the ground. It 
has a range of deep recessed arches with two towers, 
and is capable of accommodating 1,000 children; 400 
infants occupy the lower school, 300 boys the centre, 
and 300 girls the upper, each having a separate entrance. 
The houses in the Vineyards were formerly called Har¬ 
lequin row, in consequence of some of them being built 
in courses of brick and stone alternately, but they are 
now uniform in their appearance. 

The crescent of houses in front is called respectively, 
Axford, Paragon, and Bladud’s-buildings, which were 
erected during the latter half of the last century. 
Here we have a beautiful view of Beacon-hill, lately 
improved by the erection of the villas on its summit; 
a prospect, indeed, of such surpassing beauty as to take 
the stranger by surprise on his first arrival. Then we 
have the York-house hotel and club-house, an immense 
pile opposite Princes’-buildings, remarkable for the 
regularity and beauty of its architecture ; then Broad- 
street, wherein is the Grammar-school, erected in 1752 ; 
next to which is the Post-office, removed hither from 
Kingston-buildings in 1820. 

The first mention of St. Michael’s church is seen in 
the charter granted by king Edward III., in 1361, 
wherein the city was directed to devote a yearly sum 
of money to its repair. I believe the present to be 
the fourth church on this site. In 1438, as appears 
from bishop Stafford’s register at Wells, Thomas Short 


















256 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


resigned tlie living, and was succeeded by a Carthusian 
friar, John de Bethlem. The immediate predecessor of 
the present church was a Roman building, erected on a 
faulty plan in 1731, which, being found both inadequate 
and expensive, was replaced by the present elegant one 
in 1836, after a design by Mr. Manners, in the purest 
early English Gothic, having a light and elegant spire, 
which forms a beautiful feature in every view of the city. 

The old Town hall stood in the centre of the Market¬ 
place. It was built by Inigo Jones in 1625, and pulled 
down in 1766. It was of the Doric and Ionic orders, 
resting on arches, ornamented with the statues of kings 
Offa and Edgar, which may now be seen over the door 
of the building near the Hot bath, where the Bath 
antiquities were formerly kept. The present one is a 
handsome building finished by Baldwin, in 1775, 
having various apartments suitable for the offices con¬ 
nected with the government of the city. The great 
hall is a noble room, 80 feet by 40, and 31 high, orna¬ 
mented with portraits of George III. and queen Char¬ 
lotte, with his father and mother, Pitt, earl of Chatham, 
and earl Camden; in the mayor’s room, Turnerelli’s bust 
of George III., and in the council chamber one of Ralph 
Allen, set up during his mayorality. The commodious 
Market extends in a horse shoe form behind the hall, 
its entrances being through the wings on either side of 
the Guildhall. 

One of the most peculiar scenes in the city—in which 
it differs from every other British one, though such are 
not uncommon on the continent—is the Bath Market- 










MARKET PLACE. 


257 


place on tlie Saturday night. Here the whole area is 
spread with various wares, the noble Abbefy forming 
the back ground ; while booths call the attention of the 
passers-by, and itinerant venders elbow the busy house¬ 
wife, intent upon her bargains; forming altogether, in 
the mingled dusk and gaslight, a picture worthy of 
Hogarth. 

In olden times the Market-place was the scene of the 
city processions and festivities ; of these we shall select 
two as illustrations of manners and customs. 

The celebrated Prynne was both recorder and member 
of parliament for the city at the accession of Charles II. 
A letter from Mr. Ford, the mayor, describing the pro¬ 
ceedings in Bath on the coronation-day is still extant. 

The 23rd of April, 1661, being fixed on, the day 
began in Bath with ringing of bells, and beating of 
drums ; the train bands appeared in arms. The mayor 
and aldermen in their scarlet robes, attended by the 
councillors in their gowns, repaired to church; the 
mayoress, w r ith the ladies of distinction, being escorted 
by 400 virgins, bearing garlands, and clothed in white 
j waistcoats and green petticoats. Service being con¬ 
cluded, they all. repaired to St. Mary’s conduit, which 
j ran with wine, and there drank the king’s health; the 
mayor entertained the gentlemen at the Guildhall, the 
mayoress the ladies at her own house. After dinner 
they all paraded the city, attended by music, and the 
evening concluded “ with great sobriety and temperance, 
to the credit of the city, with bonfires, fireworks, and 
illuminations.” 

s 



















253 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


f 


I 


I 


I 


i 


* 


On the 6th of August, 1748, peace was proclaimed 
as follows. The mayor organized a procession com¬ 
posed of the city music, incorporated trades, common 
council, aldermen, and himself. Mr. Clutterbuck, the 
deputy town clerk, then read the king’s proclamation, 
in front of the Guildhall, and moving on, the same 
ceremony was repeated at St. Michael’s church, in 
Cheap, Stall, and Westgate streets, and lastly, on the 
grand Parade, amidst acclamations of joy, hell ringing, 
and music ; the mayor afterwards gave a grand banquet 
at the Guildhall, and the city was illuminated. Let us 
go back a century. 

Pursuing our way from Beacon-hill, we walk down 
the as yet unbuilt-on Lansdown-road, and passing 
through the turnpike-gate in Broad-street, pause to 
look over the palings at the Bowling-green. The church 
of St. Michael’s next comes in view, with the ancient 
gable-roofed houses and cottage gardens extending to 
the river side ; beyond the stream the path across the 
meadows leading to Bath wick; and then Prog-lane, j 
wherein was a cold chalybeate spring, which, from 
the colour of its bed, gave the lane its name. At the 
north gate our steps are impeded by the crowd, and a 
sedan, bearing a dame of quality, bedecked with pearls, 
powder, and point lace, forces us against some colliers’ 
donkeys, seeking egress from the city. By good luck, 
we enter, driven by the crowd under the porch of St. 
Mary’s church; we pause to admire its tower, the gate, 
and conduit. Then passing down High-street, walk 
under the Guildhall, and the ancient pillory meets our 













ANCIENT AND MODERN BATH CONTRASTED. 259 



gaze, erected in 1412, by verdict of twenty-four wor¬ 
thy citizens, who, on their oath, declared that the best 
place for the pillory was near the Cross, in the High- 
street, where it had formerly stood—that is to say, 
opposite the end of Fish Cross-lane, which led from 
the river through the east gate into the city; from the 
side of which narrow way a row of houses extended to 
the south side of Cheap-street, having a lane, called 
Wade’s-passage, between it and the Abbey, erected by 
Marshal Wade, to prevent the church, heretofore a 
common thoroughfare, from being desecrated by per¬ 
sons passing to the baths. What a contrast has one 
century produced ! Then the Abbey was unseen, save 
when the light of the moon, streaming through the 
windows, shed its glow over the scene ; where the vari¬ 
ous shops, illuminated each with its solitary candle, 

served but to make the darkness visible. Such was the 

• 

aspect of what is now confessed to be the finest view of 
a church in England; and if we can in imagination, 
people it with ladies in hoops and high towering wigs, 
and gentlemen in full dress coats, of various colours, 
richly embroidered, carried in sedans by Herculean chair¬ 
men in cocked hats and pig-tails, with Beau Nash’s 
heavy state coach and six, forcing the crowd into its 
narrowest compass, we shall be able to form some idea 
of Bath a century ago. 




















260 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 




jfavlty J^mujerfortr. 

The nearest way to this interesting village is by St. 
Matthew’s church, ascending to the dow T n a little above 
Macaulay-buildings, where w r e find a pathway which 
conducts us to Brass Knocker-hill, or we can take the 
Bradford boat to the Aqueduct hotel,—both delightful 
modes of access to this portion of the valley of the 
Avon. 

What a varied and delightful view breaks upon us as 
we descend the hill to the Viaduct! On the right is 
Midford valley, with the meandering Cam and the 
canal pursuing their serpentine career; the one all 
nature, the other artfully bestowed, so that at every 
bend they each reflect the glories of the sky, while half 
way up the rising ground we see Monkton Combe 
peeping above the coppice wood, w T ith here and there a 
pretty cottage or clustering hamlet. On the left the 
Avon, with the canal crossing its lazy stream by means 
of an aqueduct, and pursuing its course along the hill 
side, as though it were the moat of some fair city; 
while to the distant eye its barges glide along their 
noiseless course like fairy coracles, dashing aside the 
mimic wave to glitter in the glancing sunbeam. Then 
we cross the viaduct, 340 feet long, consisting of eleven 
arches, each twenty-one feet span, rising forty feet 
above the meadow, completed in 1834, and mount the 
steep ascent; yet pausing here and there to admire the 
varied beauties of both hill and dale. Around, on every 
side, at every period of the rolling year, we see the 

® -- - 























































FARLEY HUNGEltFORD. 




© 


261 


beauties of Creative Wisdom. Whether spring put 
forth her modest leaves or blushing flowers, fearing to 
expose them to ilie chilly blast; or summer, in the full 
fruition of material joy, gild all around with hopes of 
plenty; or autumn, in its turn, destroy alike the glory 
of the tree or stray unheeded flower of the field; or 
winter, spangling the dew-drops into frosted network to 
deck its robe of heaven-born purity, clothe all around 
in beauty of its own—to this spot we may return again 
and again; it is so purely natural, and withal so beau¬ 
tiful, that each time we retrace our steps with regret. 

How lovely does it look when spring, bursting the 
trammels of winter, causes all around to partake of its 
influence ! 


Sweet Spring ! thou promise of Creative Power, 
When flowery meads invite to rural strolls, 

And make us feel each step, each lowly flower; 
New beauties show, 

While all things grow, 

Blest by yon orb round which the ether rolls. 


Yes, Spring—the glorious, the full of joy— 

Our theme shall be ; for as its gems bud forth 
In graceful beauty, let their charms employ 
Your thoughts and mine : 

How pure, divine, 

Those emblems are of joys of brighter worth ! 

Life is but Spring ; at first our early years 
Are like the bloom, which future hopes impart; 

Its dewdrops are the cares of life, the tears 
Which, in their fall, 

Bright hours recal, 

While showers and sunshine shadow forth the heart. 


© 


© 












262 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


When Spring’s best off’rings bloom throughout the land, 
Shall we, unthinking, idly pass them by ? 

Who see in every leaf a mighty hand ; 

Their earthly doom 
Bestrews the tomb 

With wither’d leaves, like them we bloom and die. 

Then let us from the lowly fragrant flower 
Learn God’s own lesson, to depend alone, 

In all life’s hopes and cares, on His dread power 
Who said, Oh light 
Be thou ! whose might 
Omnipotent throughout his works is shewn. 

Pursuing tlie new Warminster road, we come to the 
picturesque, clustering hamlet of 

fLpmpIen £tohe, 

Situate four miles from Bath. Its church occupies a 
commanding site on the summit of the hill, a mile from 
the village, which, for the convenience of its water 
power, was removed to the banks of the river Avon in 
the 15th century, on the introduction of the woollen 
manufacture into the West of England ; it is a cliapelry, 
formerly belonging to the great manor of Bradford, 
and was given to Shaftesbury abbey, by king Ethelred, 
in 1001. 

The church is of Norman foundation, consisting of 
a tower, nave, and chancel. The tower is square, with 
narrow lights, surmounted by a conical spire ; the roof 
of the nave has been removed, and a leaden one sub¬ 
stituted ; below the original weather moulds, on the 
eastern gable of the nave, is a campanile; the chancel 











(3)-—--(o) 

FARLEY HUNGERFORD. 26-3 

inclines slightly to the west; the Norman south door j 
has been built up ; the interior contains a Perpen¬ 
dicular stone pulpit in good preservation, abutting 
from a flattened arch, near the north door. 

In the churchyard are thirteen incised Anglo-Norman 
tombs, ranging from the twelfth to the thirteenth 
centuries.* 

Passing Hinton Abbey, a pleasant walk of two miles 
conducts us to 

Jf-ulci'.. 

In ancient times a British stronghold. Portions of 
earthworks may still be traced; and in the year 1683 
a Homan pavement was discovered. It was, however, 
little regarded until Mr. Skinner visited it in the year 
1822, when he laid bare the remains of a villa. In 
the temple field he found a bath, and other apartments, 

; ten feet below the surface, which had evidently been 
above, with an almost perfect pavement, the walls 
j stuccoed and painted green, and the flooring smooth 
and hard as marble ; also some coins of Magnentius, 
Constantius, and Constans. These remains, having 
! been much injured by petty pilfering, are now covered 
up. In the reign of the Confessor, this manor, then 
called Ferlege , from the beauty of its meadows, was 
worth twenty shillings, and belonged to Smewin, a 
Saxon. At the Conquest it was given to Roger de 

* I have given a more detailed account of these tombs, j 
illustrated with wood cuts, in the Arclueoloyical Journal for 
September, 1847. 

( 2 )-------® 























264 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


Curcelle, tlien being only of half that value; at his 
death William Rufus bestowed it on Hugh de Montfort, 
whose name it retained until its purchase by Sir Thomas 
Hungerford, in 1383, in whose family it remained 300 
years ; when Sir Edward, the spendthrift, sold it to the 
Bayntons, from whom it came to the Houltons, its 
I present owners. It is situated on the river Frome, 

| seven miles from Bath, partly in Somerset and partly 
i in Wilts, in the Frome union. In 1841 its population 
was 154, and its poors’ rates average J067 per annum. 

The church, dedicated to St. Leonard, is a neat 
edifice, consisting of a tower with four bells, a nave, 
and chancel. Over the south porch is a semicircular 
stone, having a roughly incised cross, and the following 
inscription, rudely cut in letters partly Saxon and partly 
Roman capitals :— 

MUNI AT HOC TEMPLUM CRUCE GLORIFICANS MICROCOSMUM 

QU.E GENUIT CHRISTUM MISERIS PRECE FIAT ASYLUM. 

In Taylor’s description of Farley castle, this is said 
to be far older than any part of the church ; its trans¬ 
lation has puzzled many antiquaries. Some think it 
refers to an ancient asylum—he says it is ambiguous 
and obscure—Collinson does not mention it—Warner 
gives no translation—and Britton, in his “ Beauties of 
Wiltshire,” dismisses the church in four lines. I have 
seen two or three translations; among others, Sir R. 
Colt Hoare’s, as follows :— 

“ May the man who gloried, in the cross protect this temple 1 

May she who gave birth to Christ render it by prayer an 
asylum to the wretched ! ” 

© - — - © 














FARLEY HUNGERFORD. 


265 


How, although. I dislike to put myself in array against 
authorities, I must deny its supposed antiquity ; it bears 
evident marks of having been erected when Sir Thomas 
Hungerford built the church, in 1383. In his time the 
Saxon alphabet was not superseded j indeed, Wiclif, in 
the century after, uses one of its letters in the transla¬ 
tion of the Bible. I offer a reading of the inscription 
which I think correct:— 

May she who bore Christ, glorifying the world by the cross, 

Protect this temple, that it may become by prayer an asylum 
to the wretched! 

The interior of the building is chaste and simple, 
more particularly the chancel. The altar-rails, of 
carved oak, represent the shewbread, seven-branched 
candlestick, and other Jewish emblems, and were 
brought from the Continent by the late Col. Houlton. 
The east window is of ancient stained glass, having on 
either side a scriptural picture. One window contains, 
in almost every pane, the early crest of the Hungerfords, 
the sickle, and a square containing two triangles with 
a man’s face, an ancient symbol of the Trinity; while 
in another is the patron saint, and a beautiful portrait 
of the founder, closely resembling his recumbent effigy 
in the chapel of the castle. In the chancel are four 
freestone monuments of the Houlton family; the archi¬ 
tectural features of the church are early English. 

EALLEY CASTLE is seated on a rocky terrace, 
sloping on its northern aspect; on the south, the hill 
rises higher than the castle, and commands it. In its 












266 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


most perfect state it consisted of two wards, surrounded 
by a moat; its entrances were due east and west. The 
former was defended by a drawbridge, and an embattled 
gatehouse, of which a great portion still stands, bearing 
the arms and initials of Edward Hungerford; this led 
to the outer ward, in which were the offices, stables, 
guard-house, &c. Another gateway led into an inner 
court-yard, which was flanked by four round towers, 

60 feet high. Here were situated the state apartments, 
the great hall hung with tapestry, and spoils from 
Cressy, Poictiers, and Agincourt, with time-honoured 
suits of armour, each of which had been in some deed 
of prowess. It was esteemed the most magnificent 
baronial seat in England. Leland says, there was a 
common saying that one of the family built this part of 
the castle with the “praye of the Duke of Orleaunce,” 
whom he had taken prisoner. In the lower ward were 
four round towers, connected by various apartments; 
at the south-west angle, and in the centre of the south 
wall, were two other towers. All these are now in ] 
ruins, the only entire portion being the chapel, with St. 
Anne’s chantrey attached to it, founded by lady Joanna j 
Hungerford, in 1412, whose altar-tomb is placed beneath 
the arch dividing the chapel from the chantrey, and 
bears on it the recumbent effigies of herself and her 
husband, Sir Thomas, who was the first speaker of the 
House of Commons, and died in 1396. In the centre 
of the chantrey is the magnificent white marble tomb of 
Sir Edward and Lady Margaret Hungerford, containing 
their effigies s beautifully carved. He is in armour, girt 






























FARLEY CASTLE 





















































FARLEY IIUNGERFORD. 


267 


with a sword, with a wheatsheaf at his feet; she in a 
loose robe, her feet supported by a demi-lion, bearing 
an anchor. At the west end is a shield, emblazoning: 
fifteen coats of arms ; the date of this very beautiful 
specimen of sculpture is 1648. It is supported by 
black marble steps, and the figures are placed on a slab 
of the same material, eight feet long. Attached to the 
north wall is an altar-tomb of freestone, to the memory 
of another Sir Edward, who died in 1607. There is a 
similar tomb, without inscription, against the west wall 
of the chapel, having the figures of a lady and her 
family kneeling ; over which is the mural slab to the 
memorv of the “ right noble and virtuous” Mrs. M. 

v O 

Shaa, the daughter of Walter Lord Hungerford ; she 
died in 1613. At the south-east angle is a large 
altar-tomb, with the following inscription, “ Time tryeth 
truth, quoth Walter Hungerford, who lieth here, and 
Edward, his son, to God’s mercy, in whom he trusteth 
for ever. A.D., 1585, the vi. of Desr.” On the floor, 
near the west door, is the sculptured grave-stone of 
Sir Giles Hungerford, who, with Lord Burghersli, one 
of the first knights of the garter, enriched the castle 
with the spoils taken by them at Cressy. The altar is 
of granite, on which is displayed a black-letter bible ; 
above which is a fresco of St. George and the dragon. 
The ceiling retains some vestiges of an old painting of 
the Resurrection, with portraits of the Apostles. The 
pulpit still remains; and the chapel contains a large 
quantity of ancient armour. Many of the obliterated 
coats of arms have been restored. On the outside, 












268 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


over the door, is tlie crest of the Hungerfords—a 
wheatsheaf between two sickles; under the cliantrey 
is the family vault, in which are eight curious leaden 
coffins, tightly fitting the bodies, having the features 
of the face in bold relief. It is not my purpose to 
relate the history of this once celebrated family, since 
the works containing it are of easy access. Margaret 
Plantagenet, daughter of George, duke of Clarence, 
and brother to king Edward IV., was born in the 
castle, created countess of Salisbury by Henry VIII.; 
she married Sir Eichard Pole, and was the mother of 
the celebrated cardinal. She became involved in the 
politics of the day, and was beheaded in the Tower of 
London, in 1541. Her eldest son, Lord Montague, 
suffered the same fate in 1538. The Houltons have, 
for many years, carefully preserved the ruins from 
further decay, and they have been freely opened to the 
public ; but I would advise the visitor to arrange the 
charge previously to entering the chapel. 

About half a mile from the church is situated the 
family mansion of the Houltons, an elegant castellated 
building. 

The house, erected for the cliantrey priests of St. 
Anne’s, is now a dairy farm, on the east side of the 
chapel. 

In the field below, we find a pathway leading to the 
hamlet of Iford, along the borders of the Erome, which 
we there cross by a bridge, near which is the friary, 
now the property of the Gaisfords. The ecclesiastical 
buildings have been destroyed, and the chapel converted 








FRESHFORD. 


269 


into a greenhouse. This manor, at the Conquest, was 
given to earl Morton, being then worth thirty shillings, 
and was a portion of the lands given to the neighbour¬ 
ing abbey of Hinton, by Ela, countess of Salisbury, on 
its foundation. 

A walk of about half a mile along the road brings 
us to the village of 

A large parish, four miles from Bath, the Avon and 
the Erome, which form the county boundary, passing 
through its rich valley, wherein are several woollen 
factories. The village is most picturesquely situate on 
the declivity of a hill; its various views are strikingly 
romantic. At the Conquest it consisted of four manors, 
Iford, Ereshford, divided into two, and Undewiche, or 
Woodwick. In the latter there was formerly a parish 
church, and tombstones are occasionally found in a place 
| called Church field; but in 1448, Thomas Halle, of 
Bradford, the patron of the two livings, conjoined them, 
and Woodwick church was allowed to decay. The two 
manors of Freshford were given to Hinton abbey when 
it was founded, in whose possession it remained until 
the dissolution; it then passed through the families of 
Stringer, Davison, Ford, and Ash, into the possession 
of the Methuens, of Corsham. 

The church, dedicated to St. Peter, has an embattled 
Perpendicular tower, 44 feet high, containing a clock 
and four bells. The body is of the eighteenth century, 
and contains nothing remarkable. 






















270 VILLAGE E-AMBLES. 

Ereshford is in tlie hundred of Bathforum, and Union 
of Bradford. In 1841 its population was 645, and its 
poor rates now average £362 per annum. 


OTe i&emtef aittt Ebon (jEanal. 

One of our most delightful excursions is by the canal- 
boat, from the bridge behind Sydney-gardens to the old 
manufacturing town of Bradford, which stands on the 
Avon, seven miles from Bath. The canal keeps in com¬ 
pany with the river all the way; and though, after 
our descriptions of much of the scenery, we may be 
accused of repeating a tlirice-told tale, the views are 
so very beautiful, that we must be pardoned for naming 
them in panoramic detail. 

We keep the same line as the Great Western railway 
to Bathampton church, and have above us the Hampton 
rocks and the new Warminster road ; on the northern 
side of the river, Batheaston, with the fosse-way over 
Banner-down; then, at an angle we look on Bathford, 
with Earleigh-down rising beyond, along which the 
Bradford road descends to its junction with the Via 
Badonica; a little further on, the stone wharf, now 
disused, connected with Hampton rocks by the ruined 
railroad ; then some rich meadow scenery and Claverton 
bridge, from which there is a pathway to the Straw¬ 
berry gardens, the Water works, and the Warley ferry. 

Warley is an ancient manor in the parish of Bath- 
ford, and was occupied by Roman villas. In the year 
1691, a hypocaust was discovered here, which was de- 

©-- 














BRADFORD. 


271 


scribed by Vertue as “ consisting of pillars meeting in 
arches, the bottom inlaid with mosaic.” At the same 
period two Homan altars and an urn filled with coins 
were found, and, towards the close of the last century, 
the capital of a column similar to those of the-Bath 
temple of Minerva, and also a coin of Allectus. The 
manor is mentioned in .Domesday Book under the name 
of Herlei, and has been for centuries the property 
of the Skrine family, who have an elegant castellated 
mansion enveloped in trees, which forms a beautiful 
object as we pass along to the Aqueduct hotel, where 
the towing path is changed. The views here are very 
beautiful: we have the picturesque village of Conkwell, 
peeping amidst the trees on the down above; the via¬ 
duct, with Monkton Combe, and the new Warminster 
road, ascending to the church of Limpley Stoke; while 
from the aqueduct we have the Avon winding along 
the valley on either hand; then we pass the villages of 
Limpley Stoke and Treshford to Avon-cliff, where we 
have another aqueduct and a most beautiful sylvan 
prospect, embracing Turley, Belcombe, and the approach 
to Bradford. The natural features of this view are bold 
and romantic; a considerable portion of the town stands 
on the declivity of a rock, in some degree resembling 
the modern town of Torquay. 


35rattfortr 

Is a towm of great antiquity, deriving its name from 
the Saxon Braden Ford. There was a monastery here, 























272 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

which Tanner, in his Notitia Monastica , says was 
founded by St. Aldhelm, bishop of Winchester, in 705, 
and given to Shaftesbury abbey, by king Ethelred, in 
1001, since which period its records are lost. In 954, 
Saint Dunstan was elected bishop of Worcester at a 
synod held here. In the reign of king Edward I., the 
town was privileged to send two members to parliament, 
which it did only on one occasion; it seems never to 
have had a charter of incorporation. Its history until 
the Reformation is obscure, for although the monastery 
was destroyed, the manor and parsonage remained in 
the hands of Shaftesbury abbey. At the dissolution 
the living was given by the king to the dean and chapter 
of Bristol, when that see was founded ; he reserved the 
manor to himself. Queen Elizabeth bestowed it on her 
celebrated minister, Walsingham, and Lord Methuen is 
now the lord of the manor. 

On our approach two objects claim our attention,— 
an old bridge of four arches, and a fine ecclesiastical 
barn near the banks of the Canal, remarkable for its 
roof and peculiar hipknobs. We then pass over the 
canal-bridge into the suburbs. At the western entrance 
to the town is an almshouse founded by John Hall, the 
last member of a family whose ancestors had resided 
here since the reign of Edward I.; there are also in the 
town another almshouse, and a charity school. Brad¬ 
ford bridge is an ancient structure, having nine ribbe< 
arches, and on one of the piers the foundation of th 
old chapel of St. Lawrence, now converted into 
lock-up house. 

© ----- 


















BRADFORD. 


-<§> 

273 

Some of the streets contain ancient houses scattered 
here and there, particularly in that leading to the 
church; one near the churchyard, is described by 
Leland as cc Horton’s house,” and was built in the 
fifteenth century. 

The parish church is a fine old building, mutilated 
by repairs effected during the eighteenth century. It 
consists of a tower, with a steeple at the west end; 
a nave, chancel, north chapel; and a recess on the 
south, in which is the pew of the Kingston family, 
having an elaborate screen of black and gold carving, 
surmounted by a coat of arms. The western doorway 
under the tower is used as a vestry-room, which for¬ 
merly, I have no doubt, occupied the southern recess. 

The arms of Charles II. are painted above a gallery 
on the arch dividing the nave from the chancel. 
Near the pulpit is a Perpendicular window with stained 
glass, presented by Mr. Perret in 1770 ; who also 
glazed the portion of the east window then allowed to 
remain, the lower part being obliterated by a modern 
altar-piece. In Horton’s aisle I saw the sepulchral 
brass, requiring those who pass by to pray for the 
founder’s soul, evidently placed there by himself, spaces 
being left for the dates. Near it is a square panelled 
recess retaining marks of coloring, now partially boarded 
up, resembling those altar-tombs without dates, whereon 
was preserved the warrior’s helmet and armour. The 
font—an octangular one—is also in this aisle; it is of 
the late early English period, having various ornaments 
in its panels. Near the Kingston pew is a sepulchral 


T 






























274 VILLAGE RAMBLES. 

brass, dated 1601, representing Anne Yewe, in the 
dress of the period. In the chancel is a double-pointed 
decorated arch, with the heads of a king and a bishop 
forming the corbels, containing the life-size effigy of a 
knight templar. Against the wall is fastened a monu¬ 
mental effigy of the thirteenth century, and on the 
opposite side is a curious recess containing the muti¬ 
lated effigy of a lady of the fourteenth century; near 
which is a monument to the memory of Chas. Steward, 
with a whole-length erect figure in white marble, and 
a pompous epitaph. 

There are many large houses and woollen factories in 
Bradford, its manufacture of cloth having been cele¬ 
brated for several centuries. To the eastward is the 
fine old Elizabethan house, formerly the residence of 
the duke of Kingston, now going rapidly to decay. 
The parties who now show the mansion are lovers of 
the marvellous. They will tell you that the house is 
haunted, nay, one of them says he saw the ghost one 
moonlight night; that it was built 500 years before the 
church; and in the ladies’ bower will show you two 
recesses where the “papishes” kept their crucifixes 
and holy water. If there is one thing that perpetuates 
errors more than another, it is the listening to thess 
would-be knowing guides : we told him to hold his 
tongue and show us the mansion. Its records are few 
and scanty. Its glory has departed; it is now quite 
uninhabited, and any person who had the spirit to re¬ 
pair it, would have a fine baronial mansion. It is a * 
pity it should go to ruin, with its tapestried chamber 

©-- 


















BRADFORD. 


275 


and finely panelled halls, its rich chimney pieces and 
beautiful terraces ; it is still habitable, and a portion 
of it is occupied by the offices of the railway, which 
will soon supersede the more agreeable transit of 
the canal. In the first room which we were shown is 
an elaborate chimney-piece, surmounted by that mockery 
of human greatness, the numerously-quartered shield of 
an extinct family ; here also are busts of the unfortu¬ 
nate king Charles I. and his licentious son, the second 
of that name. Passing on, we came to the staircase 
leading to a beautifully-panelled room, called the 
Duke’s bed-room, with a bay window; then the 
tapestried drawing-room, wherein we saw some faded 
flowers and candle ends, the remains of a club revel! 
and in a recess the ladies’ bower, having a splendid 
view from its bay window. But we need not proceed 
in detail. There is a little room in which the tapestry 
is perfect, though much of that in the drawing-room 
has been wantonly destroyed, and here and there are 
some beautiful ceilings and panelled work. The aspect 
of the house would lead me to suppose that it was built 
about 1585, judging from its resemblance to houses of 
that period. 

The parish of Bradford contains six hamlets, each of 
which has a church, and on the hill is an elegant 
modern chapel of ease with a beautiful spire. The 
population of the whole parish is 10,588, its average 
poor’s-rates for three years, £7,281 per annum. 

Crossing the canal, a walk of about two miles brings 
2 us to 




-■© 


















276 


VILLAGE RAMBLES. 


££te$>fiuootr, 

An ancient village on tlie top of a liill, two miles from 
Freshford and Farley castle, having a church with a 
beautiful Perpendicular tower, with various odd-shaped 
monsters forming the drip corbels, the stair turret being 
surmounted by a beautiful pinnacle. It has a nave, 
north aisle and chancel, containing a carved altar railing. 
The crucifixion, in ancient stained glass, is in the east 
window, with the various instruments used in the tor¬ 
ture of our Lord, and some heads of saints in it and 
a window on the south side, with verses of the Apostles’ 
Creed in Latin, on old English scrolls. The seats and 
roof in the north aisle have ornamental carved work. 
There is a piscina, of a rare kind, with a peculiar 
chevron moulding, near the altar ; the font is a plain 
Norman one, of an octagonal shape. The church is 
interesting, and worthy a visit. Near it is an ancient 
manor house, which bears marks of having been, in 
former times, one of the ecclesiastical buildings attached 
to the great abbey of Shaftesbury. It belongs at the 
present time to the dean of Winchester, with much of 
the adjacent land. 

The living is a vicarage attached to the vicarage of 
Bradford. The population of Westwood, with Iford, 
is 631 ; its poor’s-rates amount, on the average, to 
<£209 per annum. 

A walk of a mile and a half from Bradford, on the 
opposite side of the Avon, past Belcombe-brook house, 
conducts us to the hamlet of 

© --- 































'ft 

















































TURLEY, RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 277 

JCut-lcj), 

Once noted for its woollen manufactory, there having 
been forty handlooms at work during the last century. 
Turley house, now the residence of Dr. Morgan, was 
the summer retreat of Edmund Burke, and the spot 
where Romaine wrote his c< Walk of Eaith.” Attached 
to it is a chapel founded by the late Mrs. Attwood. 
In the garden Dr. Morgan shewed us six colossal heads, 
of which there was no account. Their general style is 
Roman; but from a short inspection we are unable to 
decide as to whether they are ancient or modern: we 
incline to the former opinion. 

About half a mile from Turley is the church of 
Winsley, one of the chapelries in the parish of Brad¬ 
ford, rebuilt in 1841, with the exception of the tower, 
which is a handsome one, of early English foundation, 
having a peculiar stair turret. 

A pleasant walk will lead us to Avon-cliff, or Stoke 
bridge, at either of which places we can take the canal 
boat to Bath. ; 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


However convenient the railway may be for travelling, 
it certainly has done away with much of its poetry. 
What can be more delightful than a drive on the now 












278 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


almost-forgotten stage, behind four high-bred horses, 
through the village scenery of England ? But the 
train will not wait, so we must defer our romance until 
we have a hole chilled in our return ticket. 

After leaving the Bath station, we cross St. James’s 
bridge, passing below Bathwick hill to the Sydney 
gardens, then along the Hampton valley, which geolo¬ 
gically consists of blue marl upon lias, the rock under 
the inferior oolite. In this part of our journey we 
have a beautiful view, Grosvenor and Batheaston, with 
Bathampton and Bathford, whose bridge of three arches 
w r e cross, thence near the entrance of Middlehill tunnel, 
210 feet long, to Box station, where we descend after 
ten minutes’ ride. The Box tunnel is 3,195 yards long, 
and is ventilated by six shafts. Erom its centre the 
sun may be seen to rise and set on the 21st of June. 
We shall never forget our visit to it during its formation. 
We descended in the workmen’s “ skid,” covered with 
mud : immense blocks of stone lay in confused heaps; 
water dropped around; swarthy men were employed, 
some in laying the masonry, others in hewing the rocks; 
trucks lay in confused heaps, picturesquely lit by here 
and there a candle; while immense discharges, as of 
artillery reverberated around. The only idea left is of 
the immense labour required to carry out the gigantic 
projects of an engineer, to whose energy the solid rock 
proved no obstacle. This work was performed by Mr. 
Thomas Lewis, of Bath, under the superintendence of 
Mr. Glennie, to whom Mr. Brunei confided its execution. 

The tunnel traverses the following geological strata 
from above downwards : the great oolite, fuller’s earth, 












BOX. 


279 


lesser oolite, blue marl, marl stone, and lias. These 
are, in fact, the Bath strata; the Abbey and lower 
portions are on lias, while the streets ascend to the 
other strata in regular succession, the great oolite ter¬ 
minating the heights. The district bears no marks 
of disturbance, all its valleys are those of excavation, 
uniform in their dip, and the various strata appear in 
regular succession. 

is an interesting village; its situation is pic- I 
turesque in the extreme. Its vale consists of fine 
meadow land, watered by Box brook, and bounded by 
undulating hills, chequered with hamlets, villas, and 
plantations; here and there we see the peculiar farm¬ 
houses of the seventeenth century, which give to the 
valleys about Bath much of their picturesque beauty; j 
and its freestone quarries are rich in cryptogamic plants. 

The church is a large building, with a central 
tower surmounted by a late Perpendicular spire, pre¬ 
senting, in its general character, many remains of the 
early English period. Its font is octagonal, with centre 
ornaments in the panels. The roof of the nave is 
ornamented with bosses of the Decorated era; the 
arches dividing it from the north aisle have a peculiar 
running moulding, without corbels. At the end of the 
north aisle is a chapel, with a groined arch. Between 
the nave and chancel are early English arches, sup- j 
porting the tower. The south aisle is modern. The j 
arms of queen Anne are painted between the nave and ! 
chancel; the church has been much injured in its archi¬ 
tectural character by alterations effected during her j 
reign. Near the west window, on the outside, are two ! 

--- ^ 






















280 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


early Norman stone coffins. In a garden near the 
clmrcli is a Homan pavement, now covered over. 

From Box we can take several interesting rambles. 
Crossing the brook, let us walk to the Spa at JHttftfle* 
bill, a pretty hamlet, with two mineral springs, now 
but little used, at which we greatly wonder, for the 
locality is very beautiful, and many a pretty ramble 
may be enjoyed in its vicinity. One of them is an 
aperient chalybeate, the other sulphureous, containing 
a large proportion of carbonic acid. 

A short distance to the north, are two fine old man¬ 
sions, Cheyney court, near the site of a Roman villa, 
discovered in 1813, and Coles’s farm. The latter, 
containing some good chimney pieces, is a gable-roofed 
building, belonging to the family of Webb, whose 
ancestor built it in 1645 ; it is now let as summer 
lodgings. The former erected, I believe towards the 
close of Elizabeth’s or early period of James’s reign, 
presents in its chimney-pieces, which are finely carved, 
marks of transition from the Tudor to the Roman— 
that heavy style which is seen in the monuments of the 
seventeenth century. It is divided into two residences. 

Near it is a gem of ancient days—the picturesque 
and beautiful village church of IBlitentfCje, anciently 
Ditchbridge. Here, indeed, we may recal our romantic 
feelings, and let our sportive fancy wander uncontrolled. 

This church, upon a gently rising slope, 

Has charms which sweet simplicity bestows, 

To hallow, ’midst the worship of the heart, 

That heart itself cast down, which prays with zeal. 





































































































DITTERIDGE. COLERNE. 


281 


<§> 


There is—there must he—something in the fane 
Which, far from busy towns, with solemn chime 
Calls forth to worship men whose worldly cares 
Enshroud the hopes and promises of heaven. 


i 


I 


i 


The church itself consists but of a nave and chancel, 
surmounted by a primitive bell, yet it contains un¬ 
doubted Saxon remains, particularly the font, which is 
bowl-shaped. Let us get the key. A nice old woman, 
from the cottage, brings it, anticipating our wish. 
With her we enter; respectful is she, and proud of her 
office. Its porch—through which the ivy creeps— 
discloses to us a rare Saxon doorway, its plain arch 
supported by grotesque heads and nondescript figures 
of animals. The arch between the nave and chancel 
is early English. On the floor of the latter are some 
curious ancient inscriptions ; and on its south side a 
piscina with the credence table. 

“ There is,” said a man, interrupting us, “ a finer 
church on the top of the hillso, risking our train, 
we walked up to (ffolcrne, or Cold-horn , a name 
which, in winter, it well deserves. The church consists 
of a nave, chancel, and side aisles, with a desecrated 
north chapel. The tower is of the embattled Perpen¬ 
dicular order. Its font is octagonal; the roof of the 
north aisle is supported by heads forming corbels, that 
of the nave by early English arches, supported by beau¬ 
tifully wreathed capitals and Norman columns. The 
chancel is separated from the nave by a decorated screen, 
above which is a beautiful arch; in it are three deco¬ 
rated sedilia, with two early English piscinae. 





















282 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


The church was thoroughly repaired in the year 
1839. The village is interesting, containing many 
picturesque houses, and a ruined building resembling a 
castle keep, formerly a malthouse, which, if covered 
with ivy, would form a fine object. Near it is the 
village-green, with a noble elm ; and there is a curious 
hip-knob and campanile on the gable of one of its farms. 

We can return to Bath by the high road which joins 
the fosse-way at Hunter’s hall, near which, at the end 
of the fir plantation of the Bocks estate, are the three 
shire stones ; thence over Bannerdown, with its ancient 
British earthworks and modern sheep-tracks, tradition¬ 
ally said to receive its name of “ holy hill” from its 
having been the spot where St. Augustine met the 
British priests before Christian England had submitted 
to the Papal supremacy, for he only converted their 
Saxon masters, and coerced them into subjection to 
the holy city., Here, too, we can, while thinking of the 
mighty changes which have since occurred, look o’er as 
bright and beautiful a view as is to be found within the 
land of merry England, diversified with village spires, 
and rising uplands, with a distant prospect of the city 
of Bath. 

There is a beautiful and romantic walk, through 
another valley, to the picturesquely situated old mill 
at Slaughterford; westward of which is Bury w r ood, 
where there is an intrenclnnent, believed to be of 
Danish construction, not far from the village of Colerne. 

A walk of a mile, to the north-east of Box, conducts 
us to Haselbury house—a fine Elizabethan mansion, 


© 















HASELBURY HOUSE. CHAPEL PLASTER. 288 


much disfigured by alterations necessary for modern 
comfort. Early in the present century several stone 
coffins were ploughed up on the site of its ancient 
chinch, long since destroyed; where, upon the induc¬ 
tion of a new vicar, a portion of the mould is placed 
in his hand, and he reads himself into the living, in a 
room in the mansion. The great hall, which has been 
converted into rooms, has two fine arches. There are 
some good panelled wainscots, and one of the rooms 
has some painted canvas, in imitation of tapestry—the 
intermediate fashion between it and the modern paper 
for rooms. This house, with the one formerly appro¬ 
priated to the steward, is a good specimen of the old 
English manorial residence, and, from the avenue of 
trees through which we proceed to Chapel Plaster, has 
a subdued and beautiful efiect. 

Cllljapcl plaster, or Plcis-trew — cc the chapel in the 
woody place”—is one of the desecrated chapels erected 
for the convenience of pilgrims to the abbey of Glas¬ 
tonbury. It is situated in the deanery of Malmesbury; 
and, although long disused, has a vicar, with a stipend 
of <£10 a year, payable by Mr. Northey, the lord of 
the manor of Haselbury, who is bound to keep the roof 
in repair. This interesting structure is in a sad state : 
its altar is now an oven, bean stalks occupy its chancel, 
and fowls roost in the loft; which, during the early 
part of the last century, formed the hiding place of the 
notorious highwayman, John Baxter, who was executed 
for robbing Dr. Hancock, of Salisbury, on Claverton 
down. The architecture of this chapel is Perpendicular. 








284 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


It consists of a porch, intended for kneeling in, when 
pilgrims passed during the period when no service was 
going on, for there is an elegant and curious niche, 
in which, a few years ago, was a statue of the Virgin, 
now destroyed, above an entrance door, having, in its 
spanclrils, blank Tudor shields projecting in the centre. 
The nave and chancel together are 29 feet long, by 9 
feet wide. At the western gable there is a bell turret. 
What would at first sight appear to be a north transept, 
is, more probably, the priest’s room, or cell, as they 
were called before the Reformation, he being sent to 
officiate from one of the neighbouring convents. The 
records of these chapels are exceedingly scanty. This 
relic of our ancestors is now an outhouse to a beer shop, 
and its graveyard a kitchen garden! 

Our next point is Wormwood farm, a gable-roofed 
building of the seventeenth century, occupied by Mr. 
William Brown, who also farms the broad lands of 
Haselbury; a short distance from which is one of the 
gems of our rambles, TOlray^all Manor house, 

interesting from its perfect state, and clearly shewing 
the transition from the strength of the fifteenth to the 
comfort and elegance of the sixteenth century. The 
hall is really magnificent, even in its desolation. It 
was erected about the early period of the fifteenth 
century, by Robert Long, esquire to Lord Hungerford. 
Its windows, according to Aubrey, were profusely deco¬ 
ded with stained glass, of which no vestige now 
remains. The springs of the arches terminate in coats 
of arms. The chimney piece bears the date 1596, with 









® -—--——© 

SOUTH WRAXHALL. 285 


an escutcheon and the marshal’s fetterlock;—the Long 
family, holding the manor of Draycot Cerne in petty 
serjeanty by being marshal at the king’s coronation, bear 
the fetterlock as a badge. The drawing room is an 
Elizabethan addition: it is panelled, and has a beau¬ 
tiful ceiling; and an elaborate chimney piece, enriched 
with caryatides, and figures of Prudence and Justice, 
Arithmetic and Geometry, with various carved work. 
In tills room is a projection, in which are seat recesses, 
with beautiful shell scrolls. In every room we see 
something to admire : old oak panelling, peculiar win¬ 
dows, or chimney pieces, the porter’s lodge with its 
oriel, the old bed-rooms, the very cellars have each 
some object of interest. A few years ago it was occu¬ 
pied as an academy; and I saw many pencilled records 
of the visits of those who returned to it after years of 
absence, and felt a pleasure in reading the evanescent 
memorials which spoke of the delight felt in revisiting 
spots hallowed by the recollection of hours 

Gilt with unheeded joys long since pass’d by! 

Some years since the mansion was surrounded by a 
grove of oaks. These are now gone; it looks bare 
and mournful; its “glory has departed.” It is now 
untenanted. The following anecdote is related by 
1 Aubrey :—“ Sir Walter Long’s widow made him a 
solemn promise that she would not marry after his 
decease. Not long after, one Pox, a beautiful young' 
gentleman, did win her love, and she married him at 
South Wraxhall, where the picture of Sir Walter hung 

© - - : - — - 


© 





















RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


©- 

2S6 

over the parlour door. As Fox led bis bride into tbe 
parlour, tbe picture fell on ber shoulder, and cracked 
in tbe fall.” 

South Wraxhall church has a very peculiar tower, 
which, at a little distance, looks like two joined together. 
The church has been lately re-built. Attached to it is 
the Long chantrey, containing an altar tomb, with the 
mutilated recumbent effigy of a lady, without inscrip¬ 
tion, but with arms and the fetterlock badge. It now 
lies blocking up two beautiful piscinas, having head 
corbels and canopies. It was formerly in the centre of 
the chantrey, which was separated from the nave by 
an oak screen. This monument is probably of the 
early period of the sixteenth century, as is the font, 
an octangular one. The manor was granted by Agnes, 
abbess of Shaftesbury, with the consent of her nuns, 
to the monks of Farleigh, in 1252, it having previously 
formed a portion of the great manor of Bradford. It 
came into the possession of the Longs in the fifteenth 
century, in whose family it is still vested. 

A beautiful walk, through an avenue of beech trees, 
brings us to JFlcmfttou jfarleu$, anciently called 
Fern Leigh , where there is a mansion, the seat of 
Wade Brown, esq., formerly of the dukes of Somerset, 
erected on the site of the ancient priory, of which 
Tanner gives the following account in his Notitia :— 
“ Humphrey de Bohun gave the church to the Cluniac 
priory of Lewes, an order founded, in 927, by Odo, 
abbot of Cluny, whose rules were very severe. They 
founded a convent here* in 1125, which they dedicated 


© 















MONKTON FARLEIGH. BATH FORD. 287 

to tlie glory of God and the Magdalene. At the dis¬ 
solution, there were a prior and twelve monks, whose 
revenue was £152. King Henry gave it to Seymour, 
viscount Beauchamp. Several tombs and other vestiges 
of the old priory are occasionally dug up here.” 

The church was rebuilt in 1814, with the exception 
of the early English tower; the Anglo-Norman north 
door and font have also been preserved. The popula¬ 
tion was, in 1841, 435 ; the poor’s rates are £216 per 
annum. 

Leaving the village, we see the beautiful clump called 
the Earleigh beeches, the views, as we walk over 
the down, extending to the Wiltshire hills. A short 
distance from the village we cross a stile on the left 
into the county of Somerset, and descend the pathway 
through the Warley quarries to T3at|)fortf—a village 
beautifully situate in the declivity, from whence we 
obtain delightful prospects of the valley of the Avon, 
with the Hampton rocks; “a landscape,” says Collin- 
son, “ enchanting and most beautifully varied.” 

The church of Bathford was rebuilt during the last 
century; its tower is more modern, but more in cha¬ 
racter with an ecclesiastical building, and was erected 
from a design of Mr. Thomas Lewis, of Bath. The 
east window of this edifice was formerly adorned with 
painted glass, the work of the celebrated Cornelius 
Jansen; this was mysteriously stolen some years ago, 
and has been replaced by the descent from the Cross, 
formerly in the possession of Mr. Wiltshire, of Shocker- 
wick. 





















288 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


At the boundary between Batheaston and Bathford, 
where three roads meet, is “ Canning’s grave,” so called 
by local tradition. Between Bathford and Shockerwick 
are some fields belonging to Capt. Chapman, wherein 
thirty years since some sepulchral barrows were de¬ 
stroyed by the plough, and, on the down above, a 
tumulus, with remains of an earthwork. 

Bathford is in the hundred of Bathforum, and union 
of Bath. In 1791, it contained a population of 460 ; 
in 1841, 1,099. Its poors’ rates were £98 in 1771; 
previous to the formation of the union they averaged 
£804, they are now £268, on an area of 1,823 statute 
acres, paying a net rental of £4,041. The living is a 
vicarage consolidated with Batliampton, and, until the 
Reformation, belonged to Bath abbey, after which it 
was given to the dean and chapter of Bristol who 
are the patrons. 

at the Conquest, belonged to the 
bishop of Bath; in 1166, it gave name to a family who 
held it under the bishop, and it afterwards became the 
property of the Husseys, when it was called Hussey’s 
court. In 1330, it was the property of Sir Walter de 
Creyke, from whom it came to the Briens, lords of 
Batheaston, with which manor it became blended. 

In the grounds near “ our lady’s well,” are some 
traces of an ecclesiastical building, wdiich tradition 
points out as the parish church. 

The mansion, a noble modern building, was erecte< 
by Palmer, and is the seat of John Wiltshire, esq. It h 
beautifully situate, commanding extensive views, and 




1 













SHOCKERWICK. 


289 


was, during the last century, the resort of many men 
eminent in the world of letters. Here Anstey had a 
beech tree, Gainsborough an elm, and Quin an arm¬ 
chair ; while Fielding, Allen, and their hospitable host, 
enjoyed the shadow of its delightful sylvan woods. 

Here, amidst other valuable pictures, are four exqui- 
■ • site productions of Gainsborough’s pencil, two of which 
are portraits, one of Quin, the other of the parish clerk 
of Bradford—both such beautiful pictures, that the 
portrait is forgotten; the clerk, indeed, conveys the 
most sublime ideas of abstract piety, while Quin is one 
of the most speaking and natural portraits that ever 
was painted. One of the landscapes is the celebrated 
“ Harvest Waggon,” which has been finely engraved 
1 1 by Edward Finden: of it the following anecdote is 
related : during Gainsborough’s visits to Shockerwick, 
he became attached to a rough grey pony, which he 
would often mount, and when engaged sketching, allow 
quietly to graze at his side. He wished to buy it a but 
Mr. Wiltshire refusing to sell it, gave it to the painter, 
who, as an acknowledgment, sent him this picture, in 
which he introduced his two daughters and the pony, 
with the following note :—“ Because I think this one 
of my best compositions, I send it to a gentleman who 
has vastly contributed to my happiness.” 

Thomas Gainsborough was born at Sudbury, in 
Suffolk, in 1727. Fie early evinced a love for art, was 
filways sketching as a child, and at twelve years old was 
a painter. His education was deficient; yet he had the 
power of shrewd observation. At the age of fourteen, 

u 












290 RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 

lie removed to London, to study his art; liis genius, 
and its invariable accompaniment, a modest deportment, 
gained him many friends. There he remained four 
years. Eeturning home, he wooed and won Margaret 
Burr, and, after a short courtship, married, and removed 
to Ipswich, where he became acquainted withThicknesse, 
the governor of Landguard fort, by whose advice he 
removed to Bath, in 1758, dividing his time between 
painting and music, excelling in both. Removing to 
London, in 1774, he took the house in Pall Mall, built 
by the duke of Schomberg, which he inhabited until his 
death, in 1788. His last words were to Sir Joshua 
Reynolds, “ We are all going to heaven, and Yandyke 
is of the company.’ 5 Gainsborough was eminently 
handsome, his disposition benevolent, his conversation 
winning and attractive, and his friendships warm ; his 
works will live among the brightest of the English 
school for their great truthfulness, and apparent want 
of art; they may, indeed, be said to have transferred 
nature to canvas, uniting the pathos of a poem to the 
beauty of a painting. 

Christopher Anstey’s satire, “ the New Bath Guide,” 
the work of an unknown hand, at once raised its author 
to celebrity, and procured him the posthumous honour 
of poets’ corner. Witty in its matter, and smooth in its 
versification, it is tainted by indelicacies, and disfigured 
by grossness ; remarkable for its vivacity, and a certain 
degree of freshness, it will ever maintain its place 
in company with the writings so ably depicting the 
manners and customs of society with which it was 


(£) 
















STANTON DREW. 


291 


contemporary. Anstey lived in tlie lloyal-crescent, 
and, dying in Bath, at an advanced age, was buried 
in Walcot church. In society he was taciturn and 
dignified, seeming rather to delight in watching the 
j folly of the hour than in contributing to its gaiety; so 
that those who in the morning had heen amused with 
his wit, as displayed in his book, were, in the evening, 
disappointed with his taciturnity and retiring manners. 
Such a character presents strange inconsistencies. It 
is not an uncommon one, and offers to the contemplation 
of the philosopher an enigma which yet requires a 
solution. 


Stanton IBrefoe. 

In order to reach Stanton Drewe, it will be necessary 
for us to proceed by railway to the Keynsham station, 
seven miles from Bath. The cuttings are in the lias. 
The tunnel at Twerton traverses the new red sandstone, 
which overlays the pennant rock; the Saltford cutting 
is a section of the lias which, at Keynsham, meets with 
a line of fault, on the western side of which the coal 
strata appear. The views here are rich but subdued, 
and we pass through some beautiful meadow scenery 
watered by the Avon. 

The interesting pavement discovered at Newton, in 
1837, is preserved at the Keynsham station. TheBev. 
W. L. Nicliolls, in the introduction to his poem, called 
“ Horce Romance ” gives us the following description 
of the remains when first discovered :—“ They are the 















292 RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 

remains of two buildings, the walls constructed of the 
rough lias found in the neighbourhood. The lower 
and more important structure measured 102 feet by 
55, but had been cut through by the high road which 
bounds it on the north. The entrance was on the 
eastern side, leading to a corridor communicating with 
the various apartments, beautifully paved, a large 
portion of the pattern remaining, Close to the road 
are the remains of a hypocaust; adoining it a sudato¬ 
rium, in the centre of which is a large pillar of stone. 
The triclinium measures 17 feet by 15, but seems to 
have been united to an adjoining room, of similar 
dimensions, by an aulccum, or curtain. The floor of 
the triclinium is ornamented with a tesselated pave¬ 
ment, in the centre of which is a circular compartment, 
bordered by a guilloche (an ornament like the curb-chain 
of a bridle; within, a male figure, playing with the 
hand on a lyre-sliaped instrument of music, with a dog 
fawning on him. In a concentric circle, of larger 
dimensions, are a stag, bull, leopard, panther, and lion, 
a tree being placed between each figure : architectural 
frets of various kinds complete the plan, forming a very 
elegant and tasteful design. The central figure has 
been supposed to be Orpheus, but with more probability 
Apollo, as the beasts are in a separate compartment; 
and it is well known that the triclinium was sometimes 
named the Apollo. The pavements of the adjoining 
rooms are of a less elaborate character, and have been 
indented by the fall of the roof. The tessercc are of 
five different colours, all from materials found in the 













- ® 

KEYNSHAM. 293 

immediate vicinity; red, of burnt tile, white and blue, 
from the neighbouring lias, the brown is the pennant 
grit, and green, I believe, a species of lias marl, which 
occurs in abundance at Cully hall, in Bitton parish. It 
is remarkable that the pavements were found carefully 
covered with lias slabs. Numerous fragments of 
pottery, with relics of domestic life, pieces of the 
frescoes which adorned the walls, and glass, were dug 
from the ruins, with several coins, a denarius of 
Macrinus, an aurseus of Honorius, and brass coins of 
Constans and Valentinian. The villa was probably 
occupied until the Komans finally withdrew from 
Britain.” The following beautiful lines open Mr. 
Nicholls’s poem, 

“ Fragment of classic ground! that dost recal 
Visions of other days, and other men, 

Once rulers of the world! the past, stern teacher, 

Speaks from yon relics: thrones have pass’d away, 

Nations have perish’d, languages have chang’d, 

And old imperial Rome hath sunk to dust 
Since last the light of day shone on your walls. 

Memento of man’s nothingness ! ye bear 
Inscribed upon your ruins, Vanity — 

A nation’s epitaph—yet leave half-told 
Your story, for in vain we ask—who was 
Your short-liv’d master ? whose the taste that plann’d 
His summer dwelling here on Avon side, 

Chamber, and corridor, and hypocaust, and whose 
The feet that fourteen hundred years ago 
Trod yonder pavements, mazes intricate 
Of daedal wreaths, and rich mosaic match’d 
So curiously elaborate stone with stone ? ” 


© 


© 










RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


©- 

294 

Tlie remains preserved at the station are the pave¬ 
ment of the triclinium, which has been carefully relaid. 

The town of Itegngjjam, once celebrated for its 
abbey, of which not a stone can now be discovered,— 
whose possessions extended over much of the neigh¬ 
bouring country, so that we can scarcely walk a mile 
without meeting with a village church,—need not detain 
us long. Its church, dedicated to St. John, is in a 
sadly neglected state; threatening, indeed, its speedy 
ruin. Its chancel is of early English architecture; the 
Brydges family have here some fine monuments of the 
sixteenth century. The tower was rebuilt in 1612, by 
brief, at a cost of J6230 ; it is of the Perpendicular 
style. The west end of the south aisle contains a 
stair-turret; the south porch is ruinous. 

Near the church there was an elegant house, formed 
out of the ruins of the abbey, belonging to the duke of 
Chandos; which, with the exception of a building now 
used as a barn, was pulled down in 1776. There was 
also an abbey church, which stood south-east of the 
present parish church. The abbey was founded by 
William, earl of Gloucester, in 1170, for Black canons, 
and was endowed with the whole manor and hundred 
of Keynsham. At the lteformation the king gave the 
manor to queen Catherine Parr, who died in 1548 ; in 
1552, king Edward granted it to Thomas Brydges, 
whose representative, the duke of Buckingham, now 
possesses it. The royalties of the parish were granted 
by king James I., in 1613, to Mrs. Whitmore, from 
whose descendants they came by purchase to the family 
of Lyne. 











QUEEN CHARLTON. PUBLOW. 


295 


In the main street is an interesting relic of the abbey 
—an hostelry for pilgrims, the bay window of which is 
supported by two half-length figures in ancient costume. 

Keynsham derives its name from one of those saintly 
virgins who, devoting their time to fasting and prayer, 
were said to possess miraculous gifts. St. lveyn, it is 
said, converted all the snakes in the neighbourhood 
into stones ;—the whole parish being full of the ammo¬ 
nite, no doubt, gave rise to the tradition. 

Keynsham contains a population of 2,307, on an 
area of 4,171 acres; its poors’ rates average <£800 
per annum. 

(f^ucen (Charlton is a village, two miles from 
Keynsham, having a church of Norman foundation, and 
very interesting. Near it is a Norman chevron-arched 
gateway, formerly leading to the abbot of Keynsham’s 
court house. This place, having been a portion of the 
manor of Keynsham, is not mentioned in Domesday 
Book, and at the Reformation formed a portion of the 
lands given to queen Catharine Parr. When the 
plague raged in Bristol, in 1574, houses were fitted up 
here for the reception of the fugitives; about which 
time queen Elizabeth visited it, granting a charter for 
a fair on the 20th of July annually. 

Queen Charlton is in the Keynsham union. Its 
area is 952 acres ; its population, 190; its average 
poors’ rates, £80. 

the next village, is traversed by the ancient 
Wansdyke, of which few or no traces remain here. It 
is not mentioned in Domesday Book. It was anciently 

















296 KAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


a portion of the honor of Gloucester, under whom it 
was held in succession by the families of St. Loe, 
Bottreux, Ilungerford, Hastings, and Huntingdon; and 
now belongs to the family of Popham. Its church, 

! dedicated to All Saints, stands near the river Chew, in 
a damp situation. It is dirtily kept; several of its 
windows are blocked up. Its font is Norman; its 
| tower is a handsome Perpendicular one, containing six 
musical bells. The chancel is remarkable for having 
no pews at its west end. Publow is in the Glutton 
union, containing a population of 641. Its poors’ rates, 
in 1839, were P335 ; in 1843, <£26 14s.; in the year 
ending Lady-day, 1846, they were increased to <£571 
19s. 7 cl., including all charges on the poors’ rate. 

ijjJenSfortt is an ancient market town, bearing evident 
marks of decay; and divided from Publow by the river 
Chew. When Leland visited it, “ it was a praty market 
townlet, occupied with clothinge ; Browne, of Londan, 
yn Limestrete, was owner of it.” Collinson says, “ it 
has dreadfully decayed; bereft of trade, many of the 
houses are in ruins.” The church has a square ancient 
tower, attached to one of those miserable barn-like 

I 

buildings which were called churches in the eighteenth 
century. It is in the same union ; its population is 
560. Its poors’ rates were PI27 in 1829, and now 
average <£140, including all charges. 

A pleasant rural walk of one mile through the 
| meadows conducts us to Stanton Hrewe— £Tije 
Co hut of tljc TBnitttS, 

In the high road to Chew Magna is an immense 












STANTON DREWE. 


297 


I 




stone, called Hautville’s quoit, said by tradition to 
have been thrown from’ Maes Knoll by the redoubtable 
champion, Sir John Iiautville, whose effigy, in Irish 
oak, I lately disinterred from a heap of rubbish in a 
corner of Chew Magna church, where it had been thrown 
dining repairs going on in that structure. This stone 
is computed by Collinson to have originally weighed 
thirty tons, who says it has for many ages supplied 
the road with fragments for its repair ; it is now 
carefully preserved, as all the others are, persons being 
forbidden to injure them. The largest circle is 100 
yards south of the Chew, having a rude amphitheatre 
between it and the river ; scarcely two authors agree in 
its admeasurement. “ Its greatest diameter,” says 
Phelps, “is 126 yards from north to south; its lesser, 
115 from east to west. Pourteen stones are visible, 
five stand, eight are recumbent, and eleven buried 
under the surface, whose situation may be seen in dry 
summers.” Authors, too, have differed as to their 
number, thus confirming the popular tradition of the 
impossibility of counting them. Musgrave, in the 
year 1718, makes them thirty-two; Wood, in 1740, 
thirty ; Collinson, fourteen ; and, Sayer, twenty-seven. 
Phelps conceives Wood to be correct. Within the 
circle is the great altar-stone, as at Stonehenge, placed 
towards the east; the entrance is on the eastern side, 
where there are two stones eighteen feet apart, in 
advance of which are five stones, forming a portion of 
two rows in the line of approach. On the north-east 
at a distance of about forty yards, is the second circle 




















©—— ----© 

298 RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 

of eight stones, thirty-two yards in diameter. Four 
stand, the others are on the ground; one of them is 
nine feet high, twenty-two feet in diameter, and is 
computed to weigh fifteen tons. Its. entrance was a 
semicircular avenue, of which seven stones remain. 

In the orchard south of the church is the circle con¬ 
sisting of twelve stones, called by Dr. Stukeley the 
Lunar temple. These are rude and irregular; the 
diameter is 120 feet, situate 150 yards from the largest 
circle ; ten stones may still be seen. To the south-west 
of the church are three immense stones—of which one 
is recumbent—which originally formed a square recess 
called the Cove; the fallen one is fourteen feet long by 
ten wide. The tradition in the village is, that a woman 
was going to be married, when she and all her atten¬ 
dants were converted into stones ; from which circum¬ 
stance these remains are called the Wedding. Northwest 
from the cove are two flat stones, in a field called 
Lower Tyning. That this temple was erected by the 
Britons, under the superintendence of the Druids, 
there can be no doubt, and such was the opinion of 
the Saxons when they gave the place its name, which 
it still retains. Near it are Maes Knoll, Stantonbury 
hill, Englishcombe, Camerton, and other British towns, 
with the important Wansdyke, and a village called 
Belgetown at the Norman conquest, now Belluton. 

Sir Bicliard Colt Hoare conceives them to be more 
ancient than Stonehenge, and the Bev, J. B. Deane, 
F.S.A., in the 25tli vol. of the Archseologia, says, they 
are a dracontium , or serpent temple ; remarking, that 

© 


- 


© 







STANTON DREWE. 


299 


wherever there was a serpent temple, there was a 
legend similar to that related of the holy virgin St. 
Keyn. But, unfortunately for this hypothesis, there 
are “ snake stones” at Keyneham amply sufficient for 
that legend, had Stanton Drewe never existed. 

These circles are classed with the remains at Avebury 
and Carnae. The Rev. W. L. Bowles has referred 
their origin to the worship of Teut, an astronomer, 
great grandson of Noah, who first divided the year 
into 365 days, the first representation of whom was 
a stone on a mound. Fourteen miles from these 
remains, on a vast natural mound, is situated a stone 
called to this day Cleeve Teut, and the various Chews 
are supposed to be corruptions of his name. There 
can be no doubt that this place was the centre of an 
important district, where the people assembled together, 
received their laws, their punishments, and their religi¬ 
ous, moral, and political instruction. The ancient 
nations possessed some knowledge of astronomy ; their 
habits would lead them to observe the heavenly bodies, 
whose exactness must have struck a poetical nation, as 
all wandering ones are, more or less : and if, in modern 
times, we hold parish meetings in our churches, and in¬ 
struct our young in buildings attached to them, we 
shall not wander far from probability in supposing that 
these British temples were used both for secular and 
religious purposes. 

The church is between the cove and the tyning. Its 
square embattled tower is on the north side, and has 
a porch and a beautiful decorated archway, above which 














300 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 


is a canopied niche. It contains, among others, the 
tomb of Sir Michael Poster, one of the justices of the 
Court of King’s Bench, who died in 1763. The font 
is one of those plain bowl-shaped ones hewn from a 
solid stone, without ornament, and which are undoubt¬ 
edly Saxon. This church was partially rebuilt, and 
thoroughly repaired in 1847. The parsonage-house is 
an interesting relic of the middle ages. Here is a 
window, having curious grotesque heads forming the 
corbels, and the arms of bishop Beckington cut in stone, 
with another shield. 

The parish is in the hundred of Keynsliam and union 
of Glutton. It contains a population of 631, its poor- 
rates were £225 in 1839, and now average T400, 
including all payments from the poor-rates. 

The whole distance from Keynsham to Stanton 
Drewe is delightful. The botanist will find many 
specimens of rare plants ; the ornithologist be delighted 
with the music of the song birds, who appear to have 
chosen the meadows for their own; the geologist will 
meet with several varieties of strata; while the anti¬ 
quary may speculate on the history of this remarkable 
spot, and he who rambles for his own amusement find 
various objects of interest and delight. 












APPENDIX. 


For the following information I am indebted to Mr. Christian 
Brown, Superintendant Registrar of Bath, whose accounts are 
kept in that concise and valuable form, that were the practice 
general, statistical enquiries would be much facilitated. 

THE CENSUS OF 1841. 


Houses inhabited, 7,429. Vacant, 749. Building, 26. 



Popul ation. 




Males. 

Females. 

Total. 

St. James. 

. 2,788... 

. 3,406.. 

.. 6,194 

— Michael. 

. 1,456... 

. 1,879.. 

.. 3,335 

— Peter and St. Paul ... 

. 1,177... 

. 1,397.. 

.. 2,574 

Walcot. 

.10,447... 

.15,766.. 

..26,213 

Lyncombe and Widcombe 

, 4,589... 

. 5,331.. 

.. 9,920 

Bath wick. 

. 1,882... 

. 3,091.. 

.. 4,973 


22,339 

30,870 

53,209 


Proportion of males to females, 100 to 138. Proportion of 
female servants, 10.1 per cent. Male servants, 1.7. 


Number of Births, Marriages, and Deaths registered:— 



Births. 

Deaths. 

Marriages. 

1840.... 

, .. 1,424 ... 

... 1,604 ... 

... 579 

1841.... 

, .. 1,460 ... 

... 1,419 ... 

... 601 

1842.... 

... 1,361 ... 

. .. 1,302 ... 

... 564 

1843.... 

. . 1,426 ... 

... 1,292 ... 

... 555 

1844.... 

. . 1,459 ... 

. . . 1,364 ... 

... 570 

1845.... 

. . 1,415 ... 

... 1,308 ... 

... 605 

1846.... 

. . 1,504 ... 

. .. 1,250 ... 

... 520 


The area of the borough is 3,745 statute acres ; its poor-rates, 
under the old law, averaged £15,481. They now amount to 
£10,283, including all charges on the poor- rate, on a net rental 
of £255,489. The number of paupers relieved in the year 
ending March 25th, 1846, was 8,853. 

The constituency was 2,822 at the election of 1847, on which 
occasion 2,380 votes were recorded. 


© 










































INDEX 


OLD BATH. 

The Roman City and its Wales, 3. Roman baths. 4. City gates, 5. 
Early chronology, 6. The Abbey church, 10. Prior Birde’s oratory, 20. 
Monuments, 25. * Singular funeral, extraordinary will, 36. The bells, 37. 
Old churches and chapels : St. Mary de Stall, 38. St. Michael, intra muros, 
39. St. Mary, intra muros, St. Mary, extra muros, St. James, St. Helena, 
St. Lawrence, 40. St. Waereburgh, 41. St. Winifred’s, the old Presby¬ 
terian and Quaker meeting-houses, the old Conduits, 42. The Baths and 
Pump-rooms, 46. Diseases benefited by the waters, and their analysis, 53. 
The Hospitals, 55. The Leper’s hospital, 56. St. John the Baptist’s, 57. 
St. Catherine’s, 60. The Grammar-school, 62. Bellott’s, 64. The Bath 
hospital or infirmary, 6S. United hospital, 71. 


AN ITINERARY. 

Orange Grove, Athenaeum, Royal Institution, 73. Wood’s improve¬ 
ments, 75. The Parades, Lord Chesterfield’s house, 76. The North- 
parade bridge, Cleveland-walk, Sham castle, 77. Hampton down, 79. 
British city of Caer-Badon, 81. Claverton, 86. Parochial history, 89. 
Its church, 90. Churchyard, 91. Poetical association with Pope, Field¬ 
ing, Shenstone, and Graves, 92. Allen’s tomb, 93. Claverton down, 
fatal Duel fought in 17S8, 94. Bathampton, 95. Its churchyard and 
epitaphs, 97. Church, 99. Antiquities and History, 102. Bathwick, Anti¬ 
quities and history, 102. Appearance “Sixty years’ since,” 104. Old 
church and monuments, 105. Modern improvements. Queen Charlotte’s 
house, Sydney-place, 107. Villa fields, lOS. Cleveland bridge, 109. 
Sydney gardens and Pulteney hotel, 109. Pulteney bridge, 110. Laura- 
place, Laura chapel, Argyle Independent chapel. 111. 

St. James’s Church and alterations, Southgate-street, 112. The 
old, or St Lawrence’s bridge and chapel, 113. Widcombe,-St. Mark's 
church, 114. Pope’s villa, Allen’s stone wharf, the Abbey parish cemetery, 
115. Prior-park. 117. Combe down and its quarries, 127. Views and 
salubrity of climate, Mr. Rack’s description in 17S0, 129. Church and 
parsonage, 130. Monkton Combe, Church, epitaph by Campbell, Bassett’s 
tomb, 131. Antiquities and history, 132. The vale of Midford, 133. Mid¬ 
ford castle, 134. South Stoke, its church, 135. History, 136. Weldon’s 
caisson and the twenty one locks on the canal, 137. Combehay, its history, 
visit of king George IV. to the mansion, 13S. Church, and Carrington’s 
grave, 139. 















INDEX. 


303 


Midford to Charterhouse Hinton, 141 Its history and antiquities, 
Church, 142 Abbey and its history, the Carthusians, 143.- Norton St. 
Philips, 146. History, George inn, a relic of the middle ages. Church, its 
objects of interest, 147. The duke of Monmouth and the battle, 149. 
Wellow, beautiful scenery between it and Hinton, 151. The Druids at 
White-Ox-Mead, 152. Celtic sepulchre at Stoney Littleton, 153. Roman 
pavement in Wellow Hayes, 154. Stone coffins at Woodborough, 156. 
Wellow church and its restoration, 157. Old manor-house of the Hun- 
gerfords. Holy well of St. Julian, Strawberry-gardens and rosary, 161. 
Dunkerton, its ancient history, Church, and singular epitaph, 162. Ca- 
merton, the ancient Camalodunum, 163. The Roman Fosseway, 164. 
Nearer route from Wellow to Bath by Fortnight-hill, Odd down and the 
Bath union-house, 165. Chapel built by John Plass, a pauper, a Contrast, 
166. Berewyke, an ancient British camp and village, 167. Lyncombe, 
its ancient history, 168. Entry-hill and Fox hill, 169. Lyncombe valley, 
1/0. Mineral spring, 1/1. Widcombe church, St. Matthew’s, 1/2. 

Beechen Cuff, and its beautiful view, 1/3. Holloway, St. Mary 
Magdalen’s chapel and hospital, Leland’s approach to Bath, 1/5. Railway 
station, its peculiarities, 1/6. Quay, Avon-street, Mansion of the Chapman 
family in Kingsmead-square, Herschell’s first discovery of the Georgium 
Sidus, Wesleyan chapel, 178. Trinity church, Hetling House, 1/9. 

Union Street, the Bear inn, Anstey and Smollett, approach to the 
baths during the last century from Queen-square, 181. Improvements, 
Charity-school, Sawclose, Nash’s house, 182. The Unitarian or Presby¬ 
terian chapel, 186. Burial-ground, Barker’s celebrated picture of “The 
Woodman,” 187. Trim-street. Wolfe’s trophies, Beaufort-square and the 
theatre, Harington-house, Barton-house, the residence of Sherston, where 
queen Elizebeth was entertained. Queen-square, 1S9. Charlotte-street, 
Savings’-bank, Moravian chapel, 190. 

Victoria Park, 190. Weston, Ancient history, 193. Mock election, 
the Via Julia. Locksbrook, 195. Kelston round-hill, 196. North Stoke, 
village, church, early history, 197. Bitton church, 198. Paper mills. Curi¬ 
ous custom, 199. Kelston, its history, 200. Church, Graveyard, Park, 
Partis college, 201. 

Saltford, Church and manor-house, 202. Corston, Church and schools, 
203. Newton St.-Loe, its history, 203. Church, Free school. Park, 204. 
Roman pavement, 205. Englishcombe, its history, 205. Church, 206. 
Castle, Manor-house, Rectorial barn. Yew-tree, and Wansdyke, 207. 
Barrow-hill, 208. Twerton, 209. Its history. Church, 210. Churchyard, 
Woollen factories, Fielding’s house, 211. Allotment land, Bath city gaol, 
212. Dredge’s bridge, Lord Western’s description of, 214. 

Weston to Sion Hill, Primrose-hill, 215. Barker’s house and fresco, 
Lansdown-crescent, All Saints’ chapel. Beacon-hill, 216. Charlcombe, 
217. Church and graveyard, 21S. St. Stephen’s church, 219. Lansdown 
grove, Gainsborough and Barker, Christ church, St. James’-square, Chris¬ 
topher Anstey, 220. Royal crescent, Madame D’Arblay, Margaret’s chapel. 
Circus, 221. Gay-street, Mrs. Piozzi, Dr. Johnson, Assembly-rooms, 222. 
Edgar-buildings, Milsom-street, Octagon chapel, 223. 

Lansdown, 223. Wesleyan college, Beckford’s tower, 224. Chapel 
farm, an old wayside chapel and rectory, 225. St. Elphage’s well, 226. 
The monument, 228. The battle, 229. Wick rocks, their geology and 
antiquities. 230. Langridge, 231. Its history. Manor house. Church, 232. 
Woolley, 233. Swainswick, the fable of Bladud, 234. Real antiquity of 
Bath, Solsbury camp, 234. Swainswick church, 236. Prynne’s “Brasvia” 
quoted from, 237. Chillcombe, 238. Charmy down, its British remains. 















304 


INDEX. 


239. St. Catherine’s vale, 240. Church, Court-house, 241. Batheaston, 
243. Its history. Church, 244. Delightful walk below ClifTe, Mill and 
erry, 245. Batheaston villa, Lady Miller, Dr. Johnson, and Horace Wal¬ 
pole, 246. Bailbrook, 247. Lambridge, Larkhall, Grosvenor Suspension- 
bridge, College, St. Saviour’s church. 248. Schools. Kensington. Walcot 
poor-house, Curious remembrances of a chairman. Queen Anne on Lans- 
down, 249 Walcot house, the Eastern dispensary, Walcot church, 250. 
Walcot-street, Cemetery, Bell inn, Dr. Cheyneand Colonel Townsend, 251. 
Ladymead, the Penitentiary, 252. Pelican inn. Dr. Johnson’s lodgings. 
Vineyards, Lady Huntingdon’s chapel, John Wesley, 253. Irving chapel, 
254. Walcot schools, beautiful view of Beacon-hill, York-buildings, St. 
Michael’s church, 255. Guildhall and market-place, 256. Old processions, 
257. Contrast between ancient and modern Bath, 25S. 

The Walk to Farley Castle, beautiful scenery, 260. Lympley Stoke, 
262. Farley Hungerford, 263. Church, 264. Castle, 265. Iford friary, 
26S. Freshford, 269. 

Kennet and Avon Canal, 270. Warley, Bradford, 271. Horton’s 
house. Church. 273. The duke of Kingston’s house, 2/4. Westwood, 
2/6. Turley, Edmund Burke, Romaine, Winsley, 277. 


RAILWAY EXCURSIONS. 

Box, Church, 2/9. Middlehill spa, Clieyney court. Coles’ farm, Ditte- 
ridge church, 280. Colerne, 2S1. Return to Bath by the fosseway, 282. 

Slaughterford Mill, Haselbury house, 2S2. Chapel Plaster, 283. 
South Wraxhall manor-house, 2S4. Church, Monkton Farleigh, 286. 
Bathford, 287. Church, “ Canning’s grave,” Barrows, Shockerwick, 
House, 288. Anstey’s beech, Gainsborough’s elm and pictures, 289. 

Stanton Drewe, the Roman pavement preserved at Keynsham station, 
291. Rev. W. L. Nicholl’s Horae Romanae, 293. Keynsham, its abbey 
church, 294. Queen Charlton. Publow, 295. Pensford, the Stone Town 
of the Druids, Church, 296. Saxon font. Beauties of the excursion, 300. 

ArPENDix. —Statistics. 


&tograpijtcal Sftetrljes. 



Page 

The Chapman family .... 


Henry Harington, M.D. .. 

*26 

Caleb Hillier Parry, M.D. 

•••••• 30 

William Oliver, M.D. 


Bishop Montague. 

. 33 

Rev. Thomas Haweis.... 

. 35 

Rev. Richard Graves .... 


Edward Barlow, M.D.... 

. 106 

Ralph Allen. 



Bishop Warburton. 122 

Carrington. 139 

Beau Nash.183 

Abbot Elphage. 194 

Sir John Harington.200 

William Prynne .236 

Thomas Gainsborough.289 

Christopher Anstey.290 





























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